


Never Trust a Pirate

by lavieboheme0919



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Anal Sex, Cabin boy Stiles, Consent Issues, Derek and Stiles are Mates, Dom/sub, Flying Dutchman, Judas Cradle, Knotting, M/M, Multiple Personalities, Nautical Lore partially inspired from Pirates of the Caribbean, Oral Sex, Pirate Derek, Porn With Plot, The Alpha Pack, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2014-02-19
Packaged: 2017-12-20 21:02:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/891816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavieboheme0919/pseuds/lavieboheme0919
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles gets taken as ransom by the infamous and brutal pirate Derek Hale and is forced to serve as Derek's cabin boy. There is mutual dislike until Stiles realizes that there is more to the ship and its crew than he ever imagined, and a fateful storm changes everything for both of them. (The story is better than the description... I promise)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rule Number 1

"You're going to sleep the day away!" Agnes, the maid, announced, pulling the blankets off of me. Slowly, I woke up. "Your father had to leave. A pirate ship has been spotted not too far off the coast."

That was enough to bring me out of my slumber. "Which one?"

Agnes looked around nervously. She leaned forward and whispered, "The Sea Wolf…"

I jumped out of bed and behind the changing screen, pulling on more appropriate clothes.

"And where do you think you're going?" she demanded

"Derek Hale is coming. I want to see if the legends are true!" I exclaimed.

Agnes shook her head. "Your father said that you were to stay here. Besides… one gaze from his red eyes and your soul can be sucked straight into hell."

"Nobody has red eyes. It's just a silly old wives tale!" I replied. "And what my father doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Please do not go!" she begged.

"I just want a peek. I'll be back before anyone else realizes I'm gone," I said, flashing a smile as I rushed out.

Everything was hot and muggy as I stepped into the brightness of the outdoors and ran toward the docks. Word traveled quickly. It seemed as though half the town was there to see the legendary pirate. I could see the large ship approaching, it's flag soaring proudly. The flag was jaggedly cut and made of gray cloth with a large black wolf with red eyes peering menacingly out over the ship.

It was really him.

Father was busy training me for government. So busy, in fact, that he didn't notice the time I spent teaching myself everything about the sea. We had discussed my longing to sail the oceans once. "That's not the life you're destined for, my son," he told me. "You're too high-born for that."

The salty air filled my lungs as the ship drew ever closer. I could see my father on the dock, waiting to, undoubtedly, tell them to sail on. Our town was small and couldn't survive the demands they would likely make. Most winters, we barely had enough to feed ourselves.

The vessel docked and Derek began descending the gangplank. For a brief moment, I wondered what it would be like to have his life… to have people fear my name… to sail the seven seas with the freedom he has.

The two began talking. I was so far away and the din of the crowd was so great that I had no hope of hearing what was being said. I did, however, see Derek draw his sword toward my father. Pirates like him never drew their sword unless they intended to use it. I panicked. The thought of losing my father was just inconceivable. I pushed through the crowd. I could see the rest of his crew descending, their swords also drawn. Lawmen were rushing toward my father for aid, but they weren't fast enough. I was. I sprinted down the dock, grabbing a sword from one of the constables' hands, running to my father's aid.

"Don't hurt him!" I bellowed. "Take me instead!"

"Stiles… stay out of this!" my father hissed.

The pirate watched me with a look of bored amusement. "What a valiant knight you have here…"

"Please… I beg you to ignore him. He's just a boy!"

"No! I'll be much more value to you than he will. Just don't hurt him… please!" I begged.

His gaze pierced through me. Suddenly I understood Agnes' fears. "It's very brave of you to offer to take your father's place. I need brave men like you on my crew…"

"I beg you not to!" my dad pleaded.

"Dad… I can do this," I told him. "I can't let you die."

"And I can't lose you!" he replied.

Derek laughed. "I propose a little deal. I'll leave now with your son… and give you time to stock up on the provisions I'll be needing in say… one month! When I come back, you'll get to see that your son is in perfect health and we'll just renegotiate then." He looked over his shoulder. "Isaac, give the governor our supply list."

A lanky blonde with strong facial features moved forward passing a sheet of parchment to my father who went slightly pale when he read it. "If I supply this to you, this city will die come winter."

Derek reached over and pulled me close to him, pressing the blade of his sword to my neck. "That's not really my problem. If you want your son to live, you'll get that list together. In the meantime, we'll keep him company. I think he'll love being my cabin boy."

I knew what happened to cabin boys. One escaped into our town several years ago. The tales of what he endured while on the ship only got to me though listening to the maids speak of how the boy had been buggered, whipped for no reason, and occasionally put on the plank for the crew's amusement. The boy was so insane from his ordeal that the only humane thing my father could do was put him out of his misery.

"I love you, son," my father said as Derek began backing up the gangplank, pulling me with him.

"I love you too, father!" I called before Derek threw me onto the deck of the ship, sending me sprawling. The rough wood scraped my hands and my face scratched as I tumbled, causing me to bleed. The crew laughed.

"I'm sorry… do you not have your sea legs yet?" Derek asked, mockingly before turning his attention to the crew. "Let's set sail! Every man to his post!"

"And what do you want us to do with our newest catch?" a tall man with powerful muscles and smooth, brown hair asked.

Derek studied me with a look of contempt. "Lock him in my chambers. I'll find use for him later."

The man pulled me to my feet and I struggled against him. "Let me go!" I screamed. He ignored me, bringing me to the Captain's quarters and throwing me into the room, once again, sending me sprawling. He slammed the door and quickly locked it from the outside. I rushed to the door and banged on it. "Let me out!"

The room was dark. The small lantern in the corner was going to run out of oil soon and even then, it didn't give off enough light to be worth it. I paced around the quarters, which were roomier than I anticipated and was about the size of my own bedroom in the Governor's mansion.

I was afraid of what awaited me. I knew what I would be expected to do. I would be in charge of cleaning, helping the cook, and tending to the captain's  _needs_. The thought of that made me shiver. My heart was set on Lady Lydia. She was the one I was betrothed to. She was the one I had loved since I was young. And though I was happy I had saved my father's life, I wondered if Lydia would want me if she knew I had been buggered by a pirate.

My heart began to race and I had a hard time breathing. It was another of those fits… I'd not had one in years. Agnes wasn't here to help calm me like she usually did… poor Agnes. She would, no doubt, blame herself for not stopping me, though she never would have been able to. I only hoped that my father would console her and let her know that it wasn't her fault that I got taken. Let her know that I did it to protect him. I dug my nails into the bed, trying to focus on something that could pull me out of it.

I had finally calmed down when Derek burst into the room. It had been hours. I was starving and he staggered in with a small piece of bread and smelling of rum. "Who the fuck told you that you could sit there?" he demanded.

I immediately stood. "I'm sorry… There was nowhere else to—"

He cut me off. "Were you so eager to get into my bed?"

"No!"

"No  _what_?"

I narrowed my eyes. I refused to call him  _sir_.

He popped the bread into his mouth and chewed slowly. When he swallowed he grinned. "Maybe a night of hunger will teach you proper respect for your captain."

He stumbled toward me and slammed me against the wall, turning me so my back was toward him. I knew what was coming. "Please no…" I whispered as he pulled down my trousers. He grabbed me by my hair and pushed me face-down onto the bed, taking off his own trousers. I fought hard against him, but he was older, larger, and stronger than me. He manages to pin me. "Please don't do this…" I begged, looking back to see his eyes glowing bright red.

"You will learn to serve your captain with respect or I will hand you to Davy Jones myself!" he snarled into my ear. He spat on his hand and moments later, I felt something at my backside. I screamed as it breached me.

"Please stop!" I cried. The pain was something I was not prepared for. For all I knew it was his sword he had shoved into me. It felt as though I was being cut in half from the inside. "It hurts…"

"It'll hurt less if you stop fighting," he chuckled into my ear, beginning the process of thrusting up into me.

I tried to tune it out… to focus on anything but what was happening to me, but I couldn't with the knowledge that this was going to happen to me every single night. Tears streamed from my eyes as I pleaded with him to stop what he was doing.

"Alright," he said, continuing his assault. "I'll stop if you just call me 'sir'."

"Please, sir!" I screeched. Instead of stopping, he thrust several more times before I felt him finish inside me. I felt disgusting and dirty.

"Rule number one, boy," he snarled into my ear as I sobbed into the lumpy mattress below me. "Never trust a pirate." He collapsed on top of me and soon fell asleep. I got no rest that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ok... so before you hate me... I'll just tell you that things will get better for them! I promise! This story is going to feature pirate romanticism, hot Sterek sex (eventually consensual), and lots of action and adventure! I hope you enjoyed the first part of the ride.


	2. A Fickle Master

Derek's movement was the only sign I got that he was awake. He had once again stiffened and was making use of my body. "Why are you doing this?" I cried. It was still uncomfortable but it wasn't quite as painful as it had been last night.

"Because you're so fucking tight," he chuckled into my ear. He began to pick up the pace and the discomfort quickly turned back into pain. The friction caused me to move against the cloth. I, too, got hard and it didn't take long for me to erupt onto the bed. I tightened around him. He grunted as he added a second load to me. He slid himself out of me and tossed me off the bed, seeing the mess I had made. His face contorted in disgust. "I should kill you for that…" grabbed my shirt, twisting it as he pulled me up and slammed me against the wall so hard my vision went blurry. "All that complaining… were you lying to me?"

"N-no!" I stammered.

"No,  _what_?" he growled.

"No sir…"

His eyes flashed red again and he released me, causing me to fall to the floor. "I'd have you keel-hauled but you're too weak to survive something like that, so I'll do something that might just stick in your memory a little." He pulled on his trousers and ordered me to do the same, tossing me out onto the deck in front of the crew.

"It's about time you got up, Captain!" the lanky blonde laughed. "We were beginning to think we might have to sample him ourselves."

Derek growled. "Nobody touches him that way but me… do you all understand?"

They all saluted him, shouting "Yes sir!"

"That said… he needs to be taught a lesson. Peter… I want you to give him five lashes. Make them memorable… but don't leave a mark," he ordered. I glared up at him in hatred. He caught the glance. "Wipe that look off your face or I'll add another five!"

Two men rushed toward me, pulling my shirt off my body and pinned me so I couldn't move. The man who had locked me in the Captain's quarters the day before came up behind me with a whip. I heard the wooshing sound of the whip cutting through the air before the crack it made as it came in contact with my back. I screamed out. I had never felt something so painful before in my life. And it wasn't fair! It wasn't my fault that I made that mess. Then again, I never heard a story of a pirate being overly occupied with the concept of justice. Another crack of the whip and my back once again exploded in pain. Tears streamed down my face and I wondered how my life could get any better.  _Crack!_  My body hung loosely in the arms of my captors as I lost all strength to hold myself up. The crew members were all cheering on my abuse, telling Peter that he could do better. I made an inhuman noise as the next stroke hit. I could feel something warm running down my back.

"Stop!" Derek yelled. The two who were holding me dropped me and I curled up, barely able to move for the agony I was in. Derek rushed toward Peter. "I told you not to leave lasting marks on him!"

"It was an accident… you know we can't always control our strength…" Peter pleaded.

Derek sunk fingernails into Peter, picking up the larger man and throwing him into the mast. Peter howled as he made contact and fell down landing beside me. "Have you all forgotten what obedience is?" Derek demanded. "When I give an order, it will be followed or there will be hell to pay."

Despite the pain I was in, I was impressed at the reaction Derek could elicit from his crew, despite his youth. He turned his attention to me. "Did you learn your lesson or do I need to administer that fifth lash myself?"

I couldn't look him in his eyes. "I learned. I'm sorry, sir."

"Good, at least someone here isn't a complete idiot," he derided. "Scott, see to his wounds."

A man with tanned skin and thick black hair came to my side and pulled me to my feet. "Let's go," he whispered. Walking was uncomfortable from what Derek had done to me and my entire body was aching. He helped me onto a bed and rummaged through a cabinet. "This isn't going to feel good… but you'll thank me for it later."

The sensation wasn't painful… but it definitely wasn't pleasant. It felt slimy. I cringed as it made contact with my flesh. However, once I got past the sliminess, I realized that whatever he was doing, it felt soothing.

"Not all of us are like that," he told me. "Not everything on this ship is what it seems."

"Why do the Captain's eyes sometimes glow red… and why is he so strong?" I asked.

"You don't want to know…" Scott warned me.

"If I'm going to be his prisoner and I'm going to be raped by him every night… then I deserve to know!" I argued.

Scott sighed. "If you figure the answer out, you'll never be allowed to leave."

"Who says I'm going to be allowed to leave anyway?"

"He taught you Rule Number 1, didn't he?"

I nodded.

"Look… it's awful that this is happening to you, but you have to trust me… just do what he tells you and open your legs when he wants you to… it's the best bet for you to get back to your family," he told me.

"Will it always hurt when he…" I started.

Scott shook his head. "No… It can feel kind of good if you work with him. Kissing can help."

"I don't want to kiss Derek!" I protested. "I want to kiss Lady Lydia…"

"And you might never be able to again," he said softly. "Prepare yourself for that."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked after a few moments of silence between us.

Scott didn't answer right away. Instead, he rubbed a rag with warm water on my back. It felt amazing. "I know what it's like to be in your place," he replied sadly.

"Were you Derek's?" I asked.

He shook his head. "My family was starving and my mom couldn't work. I had to do what I had to do. But look at me now… I'm the barber. And I've learned quite a bit about medicine. I have a friend on the mainland whom I see whenever we dock for more than two days. He teaches me all kinds of treatments for various injuries. And if all else fails, we have a way of saving your life…"

"What does that mean?"

"Again… if you found out, you'd never be allowed to leave," he said. He toiled a few more minutes with the rag on my back. "Alright… I'll let the Captain know that you should be on rest for the next couple of days. It'll give you a chance to become accustomed to living on a boat without any hard labor. Unfortunately, he can override my recommendations. So it's not a sure bet. Come with me."

Walking still felt awkward and I hobbled along behind him with a limp that all crew members seemed to recognize. It only added to my shame. We went up on deck in search of the Captain. When we found him, Scott approached him and pleaded my case. The entire time, Derek watched me with an unreadable stare. He spoke quickly and Scott turned around to tell me his decision. "You are allowed the recommended rest on one condition… you clean up the mess you made this morning."

"Where are the tools to clean it?" I asked, thankful that Derek found it in himself to show me this mercy.

"You are to use your mouth," he said softly. I hid my disgust well.

"Am I permitted to rest in his bed? Or do I have quarters of my own?"

"You may sleep in his bed, but only after you've cleaned the stain," Scott told me. I nodded and approached the Captain.

"Thank you, sir," I said softly, avoiding eye contact.

"Get out of my sight," he growled. "Before I change my mind."

I truly served a fickle master.

Once back in his quarters, I discovered that he had replenished the oil in the lamp and it was burning brightly. I could see the stain in the cloth that protected the uncomfortable bed. It was the one think between me and sleep. It was also disgusting. I fought the urge to gag as I completed my task and for several moments, I really believed I would wretch. However, once it was done, I crawled into the bed, avoiding the wet area as it dried. It wasn't long before I was asleep.

I didn't know how much time had passed when I woke up, but I figured it had to be night time. Derek came into the room carrying bread, a bowl of soup, and a flagon of some sort of beverage. "I figured you might be hungry," he said, setting the meal down on his desk.

"I am, thank you," I said getting up to eat.

"Eat quickly," he ordered. "I'm tired and want to take you a few times before bed…"

I admired his honesty, at least. It wasn't the best food I'd ever had, but given my hunger, it went down all the same. I took a sip of the beverage he brought for me. It tasted awful. I couldn't help but screw my face up as I pushed the flagon away from me. Derek laughed. "Have you never tasted ale before?"

"No sir," I replied. "We usually consumed wine with dinner."

He chuckled. "I forget… you're the son of a Governor… you're used to the finer things in life. I hated it when I first tried it as well. It eventually grows on you."

I wondered why he was treating me so nicely, but I felt it to be imprudent to question why. Instead, I removed my clothing and laid down on the bed, watching him strip as well. "Sir… may I speak freely?"

He gave me an annoyed glare as he pulled off his shirt. "If you must."

"If you are going to…  _use_  me the entire time I'm on this ship with you, I propose that you teach me how best to please you," I said softly. My hope was that this would encourage him to be more gentle with me. It was naïve to think that he would cease altogether.

"And what makes you think I'd want to do  _that_?"

"I have heard that it enhances the pleasure of the act if both parties are cooperative," I offered meekly.

He gave a hearty laugh. "Whether you are cooperative or not, you'll still be fucked by my cock whenever the whim strikes me. I will be pleasured regardless and I don't care whether or not you get pleasure from it."

"Respectfully sir, you must care somewhat," I said. "You called off the whipping before received all five strikes and you brought me food tonight."

"Your hole will do me no good if you're dead from starvation… and I didn't want my nightly view marred by unsightly lash marks," he replied dismissively.

"But you could have killed me already… yet you keep me alive," I insisted.

"Have you never heard of a ransom?" Derek snapped. "Are you so daft? Get on your knees in front of me!" I scrambled to comply. "Since you seem so eager to open your mouth tonight, you might as well put it to some use." He dropped his trousers to the floor, stepping out of them. For the first time, I saw his tool, completely engorged. It was no wonder I was in so much pain. I flushed crimson at the sight of it. Using his hands, he pried my jaw open and pushed it into my mouth. "If I feel any teeth, I will have you flogged and this time, I won't call it off early." The taste was rather acrid and I struggled to keep from gagging as he thrust himself into the back of my throat. He placed his hands on either side of my head and held it in place as he instructed me on how to get more and more of him inside my mouth. His advice worked and soon, he was burying his entire length down my throat. His wiry pubic hair tickled my nose as I was pushed all the way down on him. After several minutes of servicing him, he finally pulled out. He was coated with my saliva.

He picked me up, tossing me onto the bed before crawling over me and lifting my legs onto his shoulders. I would be dishonest if I denied enjoying the sight of his body manipulating mine before he pressed himself at my opening. I tensed, but that increased my pain. I had to force myself to relax, which was not easy, considering I now knew the sheer length and girth of the thing that that was invading my body. However once I managed to do so, he slid in much more easily. It was uncomfortable, but I decided to use the advice Scott gave me. His head was inches above mine. I leaned upward, pressing my lips to his, shocked to feel how smooth and supple they felt. His tongue entered my lips. It felt slimy as it toyed with my own tongue for several seconds before the Captain's hand pushed me back down onto the bed. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

Whether he cared to admit it, he kissed me back. "I was just trying to help pleasure you, sir…"

"How many times must I tell you that I'll get my pleasure whether you offer it or not?" he growled.

"You kissed me back!" I said defiantly.

I knew immediately that was the wrong decision. Claw like fingers dug into my neck and piercing red eyes stared into mine. "If you mention it again, I will carve my name into your bones before hand-delivering them to your father's doorstep! Am I understood?"

Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. "Yes sir," I whimpered. He abruptly pulled out of me, flipping me onto my stomach and brutally re-entered me, causing me to squeal in pain. He came shortly thereafter and took several minutes to rest before taking me again twice more. When he was entirely spent, he collapsed on top of me again, his member still lodged within me.

I wept silently until I, too, succumbed to exhaustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There is something up with Derek Hale... But alas, no spoilers! Please let me know what you think! And as always, thank you for reading!


	3. The Captain's Whore and Anchor

Each day began and ended with Derek's cock inside me. There were moments when he was so tender and gentle that I never wanted it to end. Then there were times when every muscle in my body would ache from the vigor in which he used me. On occasion, he would steal me away from my cleaning to fuck me in the middle of the day. I nearly always felt him draining out of me. I had begun to feel disgusting.

Scrubbing the floor of the galley was, surprisingly, my favorite task. Scott usually kept me company. He and I became good friends. He came from an island and was in service to a brutal pirate. Derek killed his former Captain and offered him a place on the crew of  _The Black Wolf_. "Would you leave if you could?" I asked him one day.

"In a heartbeat," he replied. "I never wanted to sail. I only wanted to save my family."

"I want both," I admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"The reason I was at the docks that morning was because I heard that Derek Hale was coming. He's a legend… and this life was never supposed to be mine," I told him. "I wanted to get a glimpse of him. I regret not staying home."

"Has Derek been any gentler?"

I went back to scrubbing. "There are moments when he is… but he immediately goes back to being to treating me like I'm nothing."

"Did you try kissing him?"

"Yes. He told me that if I ever did it again, he would give my bones to my father," I said. The galley was now clean, though I wasn't sure why I did this every day because the crew only dirtied it again.

"Well how did you kiss him?"

"I put my lips on his…"

"No show me," Scott said.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah." I pushed myself to my feet and walked over to Scott, pressing my lips against his. Nothing happened. When I had kissed Derek, it was he who put his tongue in my mouth. When I pulled away, Scott laughed. "Well no wonder he threatened you. You call that a kiss?"

"Well it's not like I ever actually kissed someone before!" I snapped. "And it's not like I asked him to fuck me."

"Tonight, try this…" Scott suggested, pressing his lips back to mine. He put his hands around me, pulling me closer to him as his tongue searched my mouth. I enjoyed it, pressing myself back into him. When he finally pulled away from me, I had to catch my breath. "You should kiss him more like that."

"I think I'm in love with you, Scott," I teased.

He laughed. "Go away. I need to start making dinner."

I went back up on deck. Having completed the task, I returned to the Captain to see if there was anything else he wanted me to do. He didn't even lay eyes on me. He simply growled, "Get out of my sight."

I went back into his room and was very promptly joined by Derek. With no semblance of finesse, he arranged me on the bed so that I was on my back and my head was hanging over the side. He pulled himself out of his pants mounted my face, driving himself all the way into my throat. I panicked and tried to push Derek away at first, but I knew I would never be able to. Especially from this compromised position. After several minutes of frenzied thrusting, Derek pulled out of my mouth and covered my face in his seed.

"Since you seem to be intent on everybody finding out what we do in here, you are to show up for dinner in the galley like this." He tucked himself back in his trousers and slammed the door behind him as he walked out. I didn't even know how he'd have found out. The only person I told was Scott, and I didn't think he'd say anything to Derek, knowing how hard I was trying to please him.

But to show up for dinner covered in Derek's semen would mean that everyone aboard the ship would know without a doubt that I was the Captain's whore. Derek himself had marked me that way.

I knew better than to keep him waiting too long. I could feel tears threatening to spill out of my eyes, but I had to keep myself together. As I stepped into the galley, suddenly all eyes were on me. Derek held a malicious glare. Everyone else began to laugh. Except Scott, whose expression conveyed sympathy and regret.

"I'm sorry," he mouthed as he plopped some food onto a plate for me. There was nowhere else for me to sit except at the front of the galley, on full display for everyone to see. I was certain that Derek planned it that way. I'd have rather been beaten. A numbness worked its way into my chest and several tears fell from the corners of my eyes as I tried to eat, but I simply felt too broken to do so. I pushed my plate away.

"Is our food not good enough for your sensitive palate?" Derek asked loudly. "You're not in the Governor's mansion anymore. We don't waste food on my ship. Eat."

I began to sob as I lifted my utensil up to my mouth, forcing down the stuff they called food. Two weeks. It took Derek Hale two weeks to break me down. When he was done eating, he walked behind me, saying so that only I could hear, "Perhaps next time you'll listen when I tell you to never mention something again."

I finished my meal and though I wanted to go anywhere but back to Derek's quarters, I knew there was nowhere else for me to go. I wiped the mess off my face before heading back to the room. Reluctantly, I pushed open the door. I hoped Derek was asleep, but luck was not with me that day.

I couldn't look at him. Even as he manhandled my body, I forced myself to look at anything other than him. I was lifeless putty in his fingers. I no longer cared to try.

"I feel like I'm fucking a corpse," he complained, pulling out of me before finishing. "I think you should be aware of one fact, Stiles. I don't necessarily need to keep you alive to get what I want from your father. If you're not going to be a pleasurable fuck, then I don't really have any use for you."

"You told me my participation was irrelevant," I said.

"That was before you became such an obedient whore," he replied. "The best part about this is that unlike most whores,  _I_  am the one getting paid to fuck _you_." When I didn't laugh at his joke, he scoffed. "So why did you disobey my order?"

"I hoped Scott would teach me how to better serve you," I replied, my voice was weak because I had lost all will to put forth any further effort. "I wanted to learn how to make our time together as pleasurable as possible and you wouldn't show me what felt good on you."

"And why did you want to do that?"

"Because I hoped you might have some sort of redeeming qualities, but I was wrong," I said. I knew I was marching into dangerous territory but what could he do? Order me to be beaten? With any luck, they just might beat me into the next life. "You're just a rapist and a pirate."

I glanced up at him in an act of defiance that I secretly hoped would send him into a rage that would put me out of my hell. His eyes flashed red and his lip curled slightly. There were many rumors that had surrounded Derek Hale. These rumors I'd heard for years. Most of them involved him being cursed to live as a monster, but I didn't believe in such tales… until I saw his red glowing eyes. "I am so much more than that!" he growled. Kneeling on the bed, his powerful body towered over me. A swipe of his hands through the air and I could see sharp claws protruding from the ends of his fingers. "I'm something that parents tell their children about to scare them into obedience," he grinned malevolently as I cowered beneath him. "I'm something your village probably sought to protect themselves from when night fell. I am a predator and you, the quivering little runt that you are, you are my prey. I can do to you whatever I want because in the end, it would be  _so easy_ to end your life."

Tears streamed out of my eyes. His claw traced along my neck as he bent over, his wild face only inches from mine. "Wh-what are you?" I stammered.

"If I tell you, then you'll never see your father again," he warned.

I gulped, I could feel one of the fits beginning to bubble up. I felt the need to move away from him, but I was paralyzed in my fear. "I don't believe that I will anyway. What are you?"

He struggled to find an answer. "One night a month I find it particularly difficult to control myself and you managed to piss me off on that one night…"

"I've done things with you that will cause me to burn in damnation!" I whimpered, my voice breaking. "I've done nothing but try to please you. But I can't. So please… just kill me and put me out of this Hell."

His claw raised, ready to grant my request when the lanky blonde, Isaac, burst into the room. "Captain… think about what you're doing…"

Derek shot a glare to Isaac before looking back at my cowering frame. He backed up, a look of hurt shock on his face, followed by disappointment and self-hatred. The claws retracted and his eyes faded from red to their normal brown. "My kind are not known for their ability to relate to… people." He glanced over to Isaac. "I'm alright. You can go now."

"But you do things like kissing me back… but you follow it by what you did to me tonight… I don't know if I can take this much longer," I cried. "You pull me close and you cut more of me away."

Derek pulled me up off the bed and into his arms. The embrace he held me in was awkward but comforting.

"I've never been good handling fragile things," he whispered. "Last time I did… it got shattered."

"I'm not a vase! I'm a person… who agreed to serve you. But I need to be treated with some dignity!"

"I didn't just take you because your father could gather the supplies to feed my crew for months," he confessed.

"No… you took me so you could fuck me every day!"

He held my body at a length, caressing my cheek with his thumb. "No…" he said. "This vessel has had many captains before me and it will probably have many after me as well. Scott warned you that not all on this ship is what it seems. This ship isn't what it seems. It is dark… corrupt. And the only way to change that is an anchor."

"We have one. I don't see how that could be any more obvious!" I replied. I'd seen the piles of chain. I heard the men complain when they had to pull the anchor up. He made no sense.

To my surprise, he laughed. "Not that kind of anchor. I mean an anchor to humanity. To that part of me that I knew when I was very young. Without the anchor, I'm doomed to the same fate every captain of this ship has ever had."

"You're speaking in riddles!" I complained. "And right now, you're hugging me and consoling me but in ten minutes do I need to fear that I'll be forced to walk the plank because I coughed?"

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked.

Frustration boiled through me. "Why won't you answer my questions?"

"I'm trying to."

I searched his eyes. They were pleading, desperate for me to figure out what he was trying to convey. "I don't know… I wanted to make it better."

"Why? What reason had I given you?"

I thought for a moment. "You didn't. But I wanted you to." He nodded, encouraging me to make a leap that I was certain was missing.

He leaned his forehead against mine. "Stiles… I'm sorry I did what I did to you. You have to understand that it isn't entirely my fault. Until you figure it out… and figure out what I am, I'm going to keep breaking you and having to smooth over the shards…"

"How much more of me is there left to break?" I asked. "I honestly can't take much more."

"Please just figure it out."

"And then what?"

"That will be your choice."

"Again the riddles!"

He sighed. "Just sleep on it."

And so I did. As I slept, I had a series of dreams with me on the ship alongside Derek. He was affectionate. Everyone in the crew was nicer. They all respected me.

I woke up as he crawled out of the bed. "Is it morning already?" I asked groggily.

"No," he replied. "Have you figured it out?"

I shook my head. "I still can't figure out what you meant. I had dreams of us… but nothing that answered your question."

He growled. "Put some clothes on." We both got dressed and he led me to the deck, pointing up at the bright, full, round moon. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"I'm sorry… but I'm exhausted!"

He crouched in front of me and grabbed my shoulders tightly. His eyes were once again glowing red, and yet again, I was afraid of him. "Just think!" he said. "Everything I told you… think!"

I closed my eyes and concentrated, replaying the conversation I had with him.  _What this ship needs is an anchor_ … "Are all of the crew members like you?" I asked, coming to the realization.

He nodded.

"I'm the anchor, aren't I?"

He shrugged. "I hope…"

"Well, I've been on the ship for two weeks and nothing has changed!" I said doubtfully.

"Now… what am I?" he demanded, his eyes flashing red for a moment.

I focused on the details of his claws, the moon, the red glow of his eyes. I looked up at the flag that whipped over us. "They call you the Sea Wolf," I whispered. I had heard of werewolves before… creatures who could pose as man, but inside were brutal like wolves and could turn into them at will. "You're a werewolf, aren't you?"

He nodded. "And you might be the thing that can save the little bit of humanity I have left in me."

He guided me back into the cabin. "I can't leave now that I know, can I?"

"I'm afraid not," he replied.

"Will I become like you?"

He shook his head. "If you're a  _true_  Anchor… which I strongly believe you are, then you would reject the bite. You'd get incredibly sick. You could even die."

"Is the reason I feel the way I do about you because I'm supposed to save you from yourself?"

"I believe so," he said.

"So even if I give you my consent, it might not be me doing it?"

He cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I've never thought about men like I think of you. Do I feel that way because I'm your Anchor?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Perhaps. There's no way to truly know. But from now on… if you don't want me to fuck you, I won't."

The knowledge that I could say "No" emboldened me. I slowly pressed against him, my hand pulled him onto me as I leaned back. Our lips made hesitant contact. I took control. His lips were parted slightly and my tongue slipped between them. I wanted to taste him. His arm slipped down to my waist as he positioned himself between my legs. Our naked bodies were covered in a sheen of sweat. I could feel his hardness grinding against me. My heart began thundering in my chest as I felt his breath on me. His lips parted from mine, making a trail along my jaw and down my chest. His red eyes glanced up at me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He moved back up my body. "I don't know," he admitted. "I think I just got a little caught up in everything."

"Can we just talk?" I asked.

"Of course," he smiled at me, lying beside me. We talked for a while before we fell asleep, sleeping for the first time as equals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think! Also... Don't forget to vote for Sterek in the [Backlot slash ship poll!](http://www.thebacklot.com/ultimate-slash-madness-seed-round/07/2013/)


	4. The Storm from Nowhere

I began to notice two different versions of Derek. There was the version of him that I couldn't help but begin to fall for. He was gentile and kind. His touch was soft. He laughed at my jokes. He treated me with respect. He cared about whether or not I gained any pleasure during sex, and even went out of his way to ensure that I did.

Then there was the dark side of him that he struggled against. We secretly named this side of him "Marrok" from the legends of Arthur I had learned as a child. This side of him was brutal, cruel, and I was scared of this side. There were moments when this side would come out and suddenly I feared for my life again until Derek could once more regain control.

Per Derek's orders, Isaac was teaching me various aspects of sailing. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I already knew most of what he taught me from my own studies. Peter always kept an annoyingly close eye on me, whenever I was on deck.

"He's a cabin boy," I heard him growl to Derek one day. "He should be either scrubbing the floors or on his back with a cock inside him. He has no business being on deck. He's a liability."

"Last I checked, I was the captain of this ship," Derek replied icily. "And I'll decide what my cabin boy does."

Peter left that conversation calling Derek a fool and glaring at me. Whether Derek knew I heard or not, he never let on. "Why does Peter hate me?" I asked Isaac one day as we took a break to eat.

"To be perfectly honest, Peter hates anyone he sees as a threat. He's Derek's uncle and First Mate, but he sees you as a threat to his position," Isaac told me. "He also wants to captain this ship and doesn't think Derek deserves the honor."

"But I'm just a cabin boy. How can I be a threat to his position as First Mate?"

"Because you're changing Derek. Most of us believe for the better," he replied. "Peter disagrees. He thinks you're weakening him."

"But Derek still has his rages. Remember a few days ago? I couldn't walk because of what he did the night before…" I said. Marrok took over. He fucked me with such brutality that I had begun to bleed. When I complained about the pain in an attempt to reach  _my_  Derek, he became enraged and slashed my chest with his claws telling me that if I ever complained about the way he made use of my body again, he would pass me around to every member of the crew and see how much pain I was in after that. Almost immediately, the glowing red eyes receded and Derek began tending to my wounds. He blamed himself for being too weak to fight off his animalistic nature.

"And those rages aren't his fault… you know that now," Isaac said pointedly.

I sighed. "Yeah, I do. But it turns in a matter of moments and suddenly I'm right where I was when I first was brought on this ship."

"Well, the month is almost up and you'll be able to see your father, even if you can't go back to him," Isaac said, trying to point out some silver lining to my plight.

"If I survive…"

"You will!" Isaac insisted. "Scott and I will see to that. Now let's get back to your lessons."

Isaac began to see me as a prodigy with knot tying. He showed me all the different types of knots used in the riggings and had me replicate them, which I did with ease.

That night, I ate at Derek's side. "Your lessons are coming along nicely," he said, though the tone in his voice suggested that he suspected something was up.

"Isaac is a great teacher," I replied.

"I'm glad I chose him, then," he smiled. "How are your wounds?"

I unbuttoned my shirt a little so he could see the healing gashes on my chest. They looked much better than they had the day before, still his face dropped as he saw it. "It wasn't your fault! You need to stop blaming yourself for what Marrok does."

"But… that evil is a part of me. And you got hurt because I couldn't control it," he countered. "It's unacceptable."

I noticed Peter was staring at us as we spoke. "Does your kind have good hearing?" I asked.

"Exceptionally good hearing… how do you think I knew about you and Scott?" he replied. "And we haven't yet talked about that kiss."

"It was two weeks ago and he was teaching me for you. There's nothing there but friendship," I assured him.

"Good. Because I'd hate to have to throw him overboard. He's a great barber and a great cook," Derek chuckled. For the first time since I boarded this vessel, I saw a glimmer of light dance through his eyes. I stared at him, loving the way it looked. "What?"

"Nothing…" I lied, returning my attention to my meal.

After dinner, we retreated to his room. His callused hands ran along my body. I smiled as tender kisses were placed along my neck and back. He was readying himself to take me when the ship heaved, tossing both of us off the bed. "What was that?" I asked.

"I don't know…" Derek replied, quickly scrambling to pull on clothes. I did the same, following him out. Rain was beating down on the deck and waves crashed over the side, drenching the men scrambling to pull up the sails. "What happened?" Derek demanded, approaching Peter who was struggling to keep the helm from spinning uncontrollably.

"A storm hit from out of nowhere. One moment it was clear and I could see the stars, the next… this!" he managed, Derek put his hand on the spokes of the helm.

"I have it from here. Help the others. We'll get through this," Derek assured him. He then turned to me. "Go below deck. I'll come and get you when it's safe."

"I can help!" I protested. "What do you need me to do?"

He grunted against the strain. His rain-soaked shirt clung tightly to his body as water poured down his face. "Please… just do what I asked."

I turned around, assessing the status of the ship in the context of the storm. The men were scrambling, holding tightly to ropes, trying to get the sails up so they wouldn't tear in the blustering gale that was bombarding our vessel. "Pull the sales up halfway," I said. "It'll give the ship enough to catch the wind. We can steer the boat downwind and out of the storm's way."

"We could capsize!" Derek argued. "We need to pull the sails up all the way!"

"No! Just trust me. I've been studying sailing since I was old enough to read. This can work!" I shouted. The wind was making it all but impossible to hear. Another powerful wave rocked the ship. As I looked up, I could see Isaac shimmying up the mast. Scott was struggling to pull several ropes at once. "Men could die if we don't do this!"

Despite his struggle to hold the helm steady, he searched my eyes. "Fine. We'll try your method. Tell Peter it's my orders."

I nodded, rushing off to deliver the news. Peter's lip curled in anger. "The wind will shred the sails. No!"

"It's the Captain's orders!" I challenged.

"No! It's your orders coming through Derek's mouth. I'm not letting you kill this entire crew because you think you know anything about ships! You're the Captain's personal pleasure toy. You're not a sailor!" he snarled, struggling to keep hold of the rope until someone could tie the end of it.

"I'm telling you, Peter… this will work! What you're doing now will just leave us at the mercy of the storm. Who knows how far off course we'll get blown… if we survive! And if something happens to a crew member because you didn't follow Derek's orders…" I said.

His eyes narrowed. "I'll do it, but if any of us meets Davy Jones tonight because Derek listened to the fantasies of a little harlot, I'll behead you and throw you overboard myself!" I ran back to Derek to help him as Peter relayed the new plan.

I wasn't as strong as Derek was, but my aid in immobilizing the helm seemed to be appreciated. The ship caught the wind and began to move. "We need to steer slightly portside!" I told Derek and together, we moved the helm just enough to allow the ship to change course. A large wave crashed over the deck sweeping Peter off his feet.

His claws extended and he held onto the side of the boat, but I knew he couldn't stay there much longer. I ducked under Derek's arm and ran to him.

I reached over and held my arm out. He grabbed it with one hand. Fear flashed in his eyes as he faced the possibility that he might die. He was a large man, so the feat of pulling him up was not an easy one. We collapsed once he was finally up, cold water and wind chilling us to the bone. He didn't even thank me for saving his life.

He ran to help Isaac with some of the riggings that were still loose. A larger wave hit and Isaac lost control. The water took him overboard. "NO!" I screamed.

Peter grabbed my shirt. "I told you that if anyone died, you would join them!" he snarled, picking me up off the deck.

"I saved your life!" I reminded him. "I can save his. Tie a rope around me. When I tug on it, pull me back!"

"And if my hands happen to slip?" his voice taking on a malicious tone.

"You'll have two men's blood on your hands."

He grabbed a length of rope and I secured it around myself, stealing a quick glance at Derek who watched in horror as I dove off the side of the ship. Isaac was flailing wildly, waves crashing over him repeatedly.

The water was frigid. It was also nearly impossible to see both from darkness and from the salt water that burned my eyes. "ISAAC!" I called, trying to find my tutor and friend.

His attempt at replying "Over here" was interrupted as another wave pushed him under. I refused to lose him, but I was stretching the rope rather tightly and I didn't have a whole lot of faith in the man at the other end.

It took a while, but finally, the waves moved Isaac close enough to me that I could grab him. I gave a hearty yank and felt Peter pulling me up. Isaac was panicking, but I did my best to soothe him. When we were finally pulled back on deck, I was surprised to see that it wasn't Peter, but rather Scott who had pulled us up. The only consolation I felt was that Peter still owed me a life debt.

Isaac coughed violently. "He needs to be taken below. I can stay up here and help," I told Scott.

Scott disagreed. "I'm much stronger than you. It makes more sense for me to stay up here. Just keep him warm. I'll be down as soon as I can."

I helped get Isaac to his quarters and covered him in blankets. His lips were slightly blue. I, too, was freezing, but I didn't care. He was my priority. "Thank you," he said weakly.

"I knew those knot tying lessons would come in handy," I joked back. He managed a weak smile.

It was a long night, but we eventually were out of the way of the storm. The boat's violent tossing back and forth calmed down and Scott came to get me. "Derek wants you on deck. I can stay with him now."

When I got on deck, Derek pulled me in for a tight hug. "You saved Peter and Isaac… and perhaps even the entire crew of this ship. Thank you." I hugged him back, our sopping clothes stuck together as we embraced. The men on deck cheered at our victory. "We've done well, men!" Derek announced, finally releasing me from his embrace. The sun was beginning to rise, painting the sky in brilliant pinks and reds. "The Dutchman will not see her sister today!"

We all stayed on deck to ensure that the ship was, indeed, safe before retreating to the galley for celebratory ale.

Derek's cheerful and victorious nature faded quickly. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"That storm was not natural," he replied.

"Storms pop up out of nowhere all the time. Perhaps we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," I suggested.

He shook his head. "No. Even when freak storms happen, my kind is sensitive enough to be able to tell when one is on its way. This was different."

I dismissed his fears as exhaustion. I didn't understand how it was anything other than a freak storm.

Derek and I retreated to his cabin to get at least some rest. Once I was alone with him, I decided to ask what he meant when he addressed the crew… more specifically that line about the Dutchman.

"Remember what Scott told you," he said, pulling my body close to him as we tried to get comfortable. "Not everything about this ship is what it seems…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading! As I hinted before… this storm changed everything for them in ways that we'll see in future chapters. And next chapter, we'll learn exactly what is up with that ship. Until then, please give feedback! It's always appreciated. And if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them, provided it's not too spoiler-y!


	5. Keep Your Enemies Closer

" _Remember what Scott told you," he said, pulling my body close to him as we tried to get comfortable. "Not everything about this ship is what it seems."_

"You mean aside from the captain and crew being mostly werewolves?" I chuckled. "It doesn't get much more bizarre than that."

Derek laughed. I could feel his hot breath against my neck. "You're right," he admitted. "But there's more to it than that. Do you believe in magic?"

I considered his question.  _Did I?_  I was always taught that magic was evil. It came from Satan and was practiced by people who sold their souls to him. Those with magic were to be burned. None of it could be tolerated. All of it seemed like a ridiculous pretense to kill for random acts of chance. I wasn't sure that I even believed in God. I'd never seen either with my eyes. "No," I said at last.

"You're in bed with a werewolf and you don't believe in magic?" Derek seemed bemused. "Well, this ship is cursed."

"There's no such thing as curses!" I said adamantly.

"Stiles… for once in your life… just listen," Derek pleaded. I turned over to face him. "In a time before anyone can remember, two very powerful ships were created with very important purposes. Lives lost at sea couldn't be interred so someone had to be charged with transporting them to the other side. A young sailor named Davy Jones was hand chosen by Neptune to sail the seas on the Flying Dutchman, ferrying those who were lost to either paradise or damnation."

I started losing myself in his eyes, my vibrant imagination painting the scene as he described ancient nautical "history." It was discovered that supernatural beings were incapable of stepping foot on the Dutchman. But Neptune couldn't allow their souls to remain in the ocean so he found the Dutchman's sister ship, The Black Wolf. It had been abandoned, so he found a powerful Alpha named Marinus and appointed him and his Pack to crew the ship. Marinus was chosen for his bravery, fairness, and strength as an Alpha, but also because of his strong ties to the woman he loved, who anchored him to his humanity. Neptune told him that bond would be what saved him from the mental ravages of the sea.

Marinus set forth on his mission to help transport the dead souls to the other side. Rarely did he have to make the voyage, but he kept to his task, though managed to keep the ultimate mission of their ship a secret from the rest of the crew.

A sailor of his became jealous of his power and prestige. Under the cover of darkness, he snuck into Marinus' quarters and killed him as he slept, stealing from Marinus both his power as an Alpha and his position as captain.

The new captain was unaware that he needed to ferry Marinus' soul to the afterlife and he hid the captain's body in the bowels of the ship. After many years, Marinus' spirit became trapped. He haunted his successor's dreams. It wasn't until another shipmate was about to strike and kill his new captain that Marinus bothered to explain anything.

The ship's third captain was able to bring the second to the other side, but Marinus had become a vengeful specter that was as much a part of the ship as the wood itself. A curse fell on the ship, dooming all future captains to the same fate if they failed to find their Anchor. Captains began to go insane with their power, being killed off one-by-one for centuries.

"I came on board the ship because my uncle asked me to join him. There was nothing left of our pack after the fire claimed our village," Derek said. "I watched as the uncle I respected grew mad with greed and turned into someone I didn't know at all and killed our captain in front of everyone during dinner one night."

"But Peter is still alive…" I said.

Derek nodded. "It's his punishment. When I took the power from him, I learned several important things about being the captain of this ship. I have the power over life and death of all crew members. You will not age. You will not die unless you are severely injured or are sent overboard. Even then, the werewolves would end up right back here for me to take to the afterlife. I chose to punish Peter myself. I stripped him of all but the most basic skills that would make him useful. I made him so close to human that the Dutchman once appeared to us to ferry him across."

"But having him here… isn't that dangerous?" I asked. "He has already killed once to be captain… and he referenced Davy Jones earlier… but it'd be impossible for…"

"He lied to you," Derek chuckled. "He isn't very fond of you, in case you hadn't noticed. And no, he doesn't pose a danger because he will pass through anyone who he tries to touch maliciously."

"But you made him your First Mate…" I started.

"To keep a closer eye on him."

"Isaac told me that Peter thinks I'm making you weaker…" I said after several minutes of silence passed between us.

"You're my Anchor," Derek replied. "And I've been searching for you for over three centuries."

Anchor… I still wasn't entirely sure what that term meant. "How did you know?"

"When I touched you…"

"But you raped me for weeks," I said. It didn't make sense that someone would beat and rape the thing that was supposed to save them from insanity and death.

Derek seemed ashamed. He even flinched at my words. Averting his eyes, he pulled away from me. "I stopped Peter to try and right a wrong. I wanted to bring my old captain back. But I couldn't. And despite my noble intentions, the ship got to me as well. I became cruel and tyrannical. When you joined this crew, I was a shadow of my former self. Nothing I can say will ever make right what I've done to you… and still do when I lose control. I can only try to learn to hold on to my humanity and find my strength in that."

Pulling his body closer to mine, I kissed him. I savored the taste of him on my tongue and the way the contours of his body now fit so perfectly against me. "I told you to stop feeling guilty…" I whispered as the kiss broke. "I forgave you."

"That doesn't mean I forgave myself," he replied.

I tucked some of his shaggy black hair behind his ear. There was still one part of this puzzle that I didn't yet understand. "What made you think that the storm was anything other than a storm?"

"Marinus occasionally acts out," Derek sighed. "Sometimes it's small things like all the food and ale going bad at once, forcing us to dock and gather new supplies. Other times it's storms. These events are intended to challenge the captain… and rile the crew. He tries to provoke one of them to replace me."

The ship was actively working against the captain. Admittedly, I did not see that coming. "Maybe things will get easier now that I'm here to be your anchor," I suggested.

Derek climbed on top of me. "Perhaps they will."

I stopped him before he entered me. "I'm tired, Derek…" I could see the disappointment in his eyes. And the truth was, I craved him. But I was exhausted. "Later," I promised.

He nodded, kissing me, taking a spot beside me once again. He yawned as his head hit the pillow. "You need to be warned… things are going to get more dangerous…"

"I trust you to keep me safe," I replied, yawning as well.

His eyes shot open and he stared at me intensely. "Stiles… please…" he said, his voice suddenly shaky. "Never trust a pirate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope that you enjoyed learning about the history of the ship. If you still have questions about its history, please ask! I'll be happy to respond. I apologize for the chapter being so short. I also apologize for teasing you with sex… but don't worry… it'll happen next chapter and it'll be super hot. I promise. And in the next chapter… Stiles' month is up… He gets to see his dad again… though things might not go as everyone would hope.


	6. Shattered Fragments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains use of torture as a means of information gathering and is told from a split POV perspective.

"LAND-HO!" Isaac's voice called. Derek and I leapt out of bed. It was still dark outside, but the sun was soon to rise. I had mixed feelings about returning home. On one hand, I missed my father terribly and I wanted to see him. But on the other, there was tremendous guilt associated because I knew that the trip back would only be temporary and it would doom the people I'd grown up with to die come winter. I tried talking Derek out of it, but he said his reputation as a pirate forced his hand.

I watched as my beloved home came into view. I felt nervous, though. Derek came up behind me, putting his arm around my waist. "I'll give you one day. I want you back at dawn tomorrow."

"You're letting me go alone?" I asked in bewilderment.

"I trust you," Derek replied.

"Aren't you always telling me to never trust a pirate?"

Derek laughed heartily. "Are you trying to imply that you're a pirate now?"

"It could happen!"

"That's adorable."

I scowled the entire time it took us to draw closer to port. As Isaac and Scott lowered the gang plank, I followed Derek down, greeting my father in a warm embrace. "Thank God my prayers have been answered and you're safe."

Derek watched us with a look of boredom. "Remember, Stiles. Be back at dawn tomorrow."

My father began to protest. "I've supplied everything you asked for. I get my son back! That's the agreement!"

Wagging his finger, Derek chuckled. "The agreement was that I show you that he's unharmed, and that we'd renegotiate upon my return. Stiles leaves with me at dawn, or I'll demand twice the sum I originally asked and burn your city to the ground. End of negotiations."

"Derek, you don't have to do that," I said. "I'll be back here at dawn. I promise you." I looked back at my father. Fear and horror flickered through his eyes. I was certain that defeat showed in mine.

My father led me away as the crew began loading the new supplies onto the ship.

The day passed in a blink of an eye. Agnes greeted me with a tight hug and a slap on the face for disobedience and "bringing me six steps closer to my grave from worry!"

I was, however, the subject of much gossip. Apparently, there were rumors about the capacity in which I served Derek during my time away. And while all of them were true, it hurt to be the subject of such gossip. There were even bets about how often I'd be buggered while on board. I found that fact to be rather distasteful and yet, I couldn't tell them that all of them had the wrong number because admitting to buggery was a crime.

At dinner, my father apologized. "I wanted to hold a grand feast, but I didn't see how I'd be able to given the demands Derek made on us."

"Will you survive?"

"Me, yes. The staff of the governor's mansion are all fine. It's the townspeople I fear for," my father admitted. "I've written to the crown begging that they send us some sort of aid, but even if they do, how many will die before they ever lay eyes on the bread that will save them?"

"I wish there were something I could do…" I replied.

"You're as much their prisoner as we are, I guess," said my father.

After dinner, my father and I retreated to his study. Once he was certain that we were alone, he asked in a hushed voice. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," I replied. "Don't I look alright?"

"There are rumors, Stiles…"

"Since when do you listen to idle gossip?" I replied teasing. I couldn't admit that to him. Not when our time together was so short.

"Stiles, don't lie to me," though he meant it as a command, his voice was pleading.

"I'm not," I lied about lying. Our relationship had never been like that before. "I was his ransom. He was duty bound to keep me safe."

"But I paid his price. Why won't he give you back?" Tears were forming in my father's eyes. It pained me to see them.

"It's a complicated story," I replied.

"I don't care how complicated it is! You're my only son…"

"I promised him I'd return," I said, simplifying it as much as possible.

"It sounds like you're loyal to him… you speak of him as though you love him!"

"I do."

The conversation didn't go anywhere from there. I couldn't force my father to see that Derek wasn't forcing me to do anything. He didn't have to. My bed was comfortable, much more so than the one on the ship, but without Derek by my side, it was hard to fall asleep.

* * *

"Maybe he overslept," Isaac suggested.

Derek looked a combination of fearful and furious. Admittedly, I enjoyed seeing that look on his face. I was just sad it wasn't me who put it there. "He  _is_  prone to laziness," I pointed out.

"You're not helping, Peter," Derek snapped. "He promised me he'd be here at dawn. He wouldn't betray me. Something is wrong. I can feel it."

"Or you misplaced your trust! Is his ass so tight and pleasurable that even the mighty and fearsome Derek Hale would stop seeing reason?" I demanded. "You shouldn't have let him go alone. He's our prisoner, not a dignitary!"

"He's my Anchor!" Derek growled. "And he's missing. You used to captain this ship. I don't think I need to tell you what it means if I lose him."

A snarl issued from my lips. If Derek lost his Anchor… balance would be thrown off. The entire crew could perish. Even me. For good this time.

"Well, there's only one way to get him back," I said. "I'll take Isaac and Scott. We'll search for him."

"You can't stay on land for more than four hours," Isaac interjected. "If it takes longer than that, you'll die."

"I'm already dead. Dying a second time can't hurt any worse than being killed by your own nephew," was my reply. I shot an accusatory look at Derek.

"You had no right to be the Captain of the Black Wolf. You know that," Derek said.

That was one area where my nephew and I just fundamentally disagreed. "We'll be back within four hours."

* * *

It wasn't noise or even the burlap sack that woke me up. It was the cold breeze coming in from the window that stayed perpetually shut. I opened my mouth to scream, but the assailants stuffed it with cloth, silencing me. "Make a noise and we'll slit your throat."

Who was I to argue with a request so polite? There was a sharp pain to my head, and everything went black.

I awoke in a place I'd never seen before, which was saying something because I had a habit, as a child, of sneaking around everywhere. Ropes tied my arms and legs so that I was in an X-position. Men I had never seen before were surrounding me.

"So this is Derek Hale's little toy…"

"I believe the correct term is 'cabin boy,'" I quipped.

"Well,  _cabin boy_ , thanks to Derek, we're going to starve this winter. If I'm going to die, I'm taking him with me. We want to know his weakness. And we're going to go through you to get it, so I'll give you this one chance to give us the information we want. But if you force my hand, I'll have to extract that information in other manners," a man whose voice was strikingly familiar, though I couldn't place it. He stayed in the shadows so I couldn't see him.

"I don't know any weaknesses," I said truthfully.

"That's a shame, really," the man replied. "I thought you were smarter than that."

Another man approached me. He reared his fist back and drove it straight into my stomach. I felt nauseous. Another arm came straight at my face. My head flew back. Pain exploded from my lip and nose and almost instantly, I could taste the thick blood pooling in my mouth. I spat it out. "I'm telling the truth. I'm his prisoner, not his confidante!" That part wasn't exactly truthful, but there was no way for them to know that.

"We know you're his little whore," another man said in an accent that betrayed a lower class. Still, the voices sounded familiar. "You know what they say about whores and priests…"

The first man stepped into the light. When I could finally see him, I gasped. The constable. The one I once wanted to emulate. "You're supposed to protect the people of this town! Not torture them!"

"You're not part of this town anymore," he replied, driving his knee between my legs. I lost the ability to hold myself up. Pain shot all the way into my sides and back. Several more powerful punches landed on my face, chest and stomach. I vomited blood. I could barely see straight. The constable pulled my head up by yanking my hair. "Do you still want to lie to me, boy?"

"I'm not lying!" I cried. Salty tears streamed from my eyes as I suffered several more brutal punches from various men. My body hung limp against the rope.

* * *

We needed to get his scent. Unfortunately, Derek had taken from me nearly everything but my claws. He left me with only what helped me to be a better sailor. "His scent is weak," Scott complained.

Isaac scrunched his face up. "It's masked by some foul smelling men."

"Then follow the men if you can't follow him," I growled. The idiocy I was surrounded by never ceased to amaze me.

The truth was, I was happy to let the scrawny little bastard die. But he managed to catch a dead man in a life debt. And despite everything, I couldn't just watch my nephew suffer if I wasn't the one inflicting the pain. If Stiles was his Anchor, that meant he was also Derek's Mate. Mates are sacred to our kind.

I followed behind the betas as they lead me. It felt odd being on land. I hadn't stepped foot on land in at least a century and I almost died. I much preferred the salty air and that rickety, ancient ship.

The thing I hated most about Stiles was his incessant need to do good… to  _be_  good. He lived in some fantasy where things were black and white, but I knew better. And one thing I knew was that he complicated things.

* * *

"Since you won't give us the information we want… then we'll just return you to your dear captain," the Constable said. "But first, we want to make sure that we save you from him. We'll make sure that he never touches you again."

My heart stopped. Rough hands gripped me, tying new ropes and hoisting me in another direction as other hands ripped off my clothing. I begged them to stop. Images flooded my head. I was fading between this dark, dank room and the cabin I shared with Derek. There were moments when I couldn't tell if the hands touching me were theirs or his. Then there was the pain as I was lowered down. Something was trying to enter me and it hurt. I was losing touch of reality. I couldn't tell if it was the sharp, metal pyramid they were hosting me onto… or if it was the first time. When Derek didn't stop because he didn't have to. When my body felt broken and used, like it did right now and my mind couldn't tell the difference, though I tried to tell myself that Derek wouldn't do that anymore.

"Derek, please," I whimpered as I watched one of the men release some of the rope, causing me to bounce painfully onto the device. It was cold… Derek was warm. I needed to focus on details… details that could help keep this hell straight in my head. I hoped that if I were Derek's anchor, that maybe he could sense that I was in danger and he'd help me. But then there was that nagging voice in the back of my head that forced my eyes to gaze upon the reality of my situation. As the sky began to lighten up, I could see more of the bruises that covered my sweaty, grimy body. Derek would think I betrayed him. He would sail away thinking I gave him my word and I broke it. And I was going to die here and not be able to tell Derek the truth.

* * *

"I'm losing the scent," Scott said, his voice panicked.

"We have an hour and a half before I have to be back on that ship. Try harder!" I ordered.

"What if we don't find him?" Isaac asked, his voice betraying his panic.

"That's not an option," I growled dismissively. "He's Derek's Anchor. We find him or we die in the attempt."

Isaac looked shocked. "Since when are you so keen on Stiles?"

"I'm not…  _keen_  on him!" I snarled. "I'm just not keen on what Derek will be like if we lose him. I've seen him on a homicidal rampage before… It's not fun." Scott and Isaac exchanged looks that annoyed me. "And what about you two? You're pretty chummy with the human."

"He's a good guy," Scott replied. "And he's scared. He's been trapped on a boat for a month with a bunch of werewolves. He was raped for the first two weeks. He needs friends. He'll go insane if he doesn't have some normal interaction."

"And he's funny," Isaac added. "Have you ever listened to him?"

"I can't say that I have," I said.

Scott stopped. "Do you smell that?"

I glared at him. "No, I can't say that I do."

Isaac sniffed the air. "It smells… it smells like blood."

"That's Stiles' blood," Scott said.

"But it smells different…" Isaac pointed out. "He smells…"

"Afraid."

* * *

"What will he do to you when you're no longer of use to him?" the constable asked.

My muscles trembled. I wanted to die. I hoped that they would grant me that mercy. They seemed intent on torturing me. They were cowards. I tried to scream it to them, but my throat was so dry, I couldn't speak.

"There's a message we want to send back to Derek Hale," he said, lifting me off the pyramid and setting me on the cold stone floor. The constable leaned over me, pulling out a small dagger, he began carving into me. I tried to fight back, but I could barely move. I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure what hurt more, the aches in my joints and bones, the ache in my behind from being suspended on the metal pyramid which was now painted with my blood, or the dagger that was etching a design into my bruised flesh.

* * *

I was beginning to feel it creeping on me. The call of the specter I'd avoided for so long. If we didn't find Stiles soon, Death and I were to become acquainted. It figured that this bag of flesh and bones would be my undoing, after he worked so hard to keep me from dying in the storm. I hated him for it. I was a prisoner on that ship. Falling overboard would have been freedom. But Derek would have been livid. He stole Alpha from me and watched me sink, forced to serve under him when I was the reason he was there in the first place, the ungrateful shit.

As we approached a cave, the smell of blood became so powerful that even I could smell it without my werewolf senses.

"What if he's dead," Isaac asked.

"We just have to hope that he's not," was Scott's reply.

"If he's dead, then we bring Derek his body and ask what to do from there," I ordered.

"That will break him," Isaac protested.

"And if it does, then someone else will see the weakness and rise to Captain," I said dismissively. "We bring the body back." I followed them, the hapless duo. Then I saw it. I noticed it before they did. There was a door hidden behind stones, the door that would have prevented us from ever finding him. I pointed it out and they moved it. Even I was unprepared for what we saw. Werewolves were monsters parents told their children about. Yet these people were forcing me to redefine the term "monster." They had, in the course of mere hours, tortured Stiles into a pitiful remnant of a creature, drenched in his own blood and barely able to move. "Take care of the humans," I ordered, kneeling next to Stiles. It was hard to find an area of skin on him that wasn't soaked in blood or smeared with dirt. He wasn't going to survive.

Scott and Isaac made short work of Stiles' captors. "Grab some cloth so we can cover him," I said.

We ran back to the ship, the entire way, I kept one hand on the meatsack's chest, continuously pressing on it to ensure that he made it at least to the boat. Derek needed to make a decision. Either we let him die, or we try and turn him. I could feel the heat rising from the ground. It felt like a hand pulling on me, trying to drag me to it. My time was running out. If I died, so did Stiles.

I stepped off the gang plank and onto the deck with mere seconds to spare. I looked cautiously over my shoulder to land, watching as Death slithered away, no longer able to grasp me.

Turning back to my nephew, I'd never seen Derek so upset as when his eyes first laid on the limp mass in my arms. I gingerly set him down. "You need to turn him," Scott said. "He'll die."

"I can't turn him!" Derek shouted. "He's an Anchor. He'll die if I do!"

"You are the Alpha and the Captain of this ship!" I bellowed. "You have kept me alive so you can torment me. You have power over life and death! You stole that power from me. Did you think I'd just forget about it?"

"I've never used my power that way!" Derek argued. "And I kept you alive because what you did was wrong! And you'll stay alive until you've learned that lesson!"

"HE WILL NOT DIE TODAY!" I roared. I grabbed Derek's hand, pressing it to Stiles' forehead. "Focus on him! Keep him here!"

He had been the captain for centuries and he didn't know this little part of his power. He was a sorry excuse for a captain. He didn't deserve this ship. "What good will that do?" he challenged.

"Force him not to die! I owe him a life debt. He will not die on my watch and in my hands!" I yelled. "You will not force that dishonor on me!"

A murmur passed through the crew. None of them realized I owed the life debt. It didn't surprise me. There was powerful magic on board this ship. It was hand-selected by Neptune. The touch of a god left powerful imprints. There were rules as old as time that governed this vessel. Stiles saved my life. I was honor bound to save his.

I watched as Derek struggled. Stiles' eyes burst open. He flinched away from Derek's touch. Derek tried to finish healing him, but Stiles wouldn't let him. Bruises still dotted his skin. Then there was something I hadn't noticed before. "Derek… his chest."

"That's the Triskelion," Derek gasped.

"That's not just any triskelion," I said. "That's Deucalion."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading. I know I promised hot sex... but when I tried to make it happen, Stiles getting abducted and tortured popped out instead. You also got a little insight into Peter. Let me know what you thought of the chapter!


	7. Trust

"I don't know what to do with him," Derek admitted. The full moon illuminated the sea. I enjoyed nights like this. I preferred them to be spent alone… but given what was going on, I couldn't find it within myself to tell Derek to shut up.

"He's your Anchor. Figure it out," I replied unhelpfully.

"I've tried healing him… even when I can get my hand on his skin… it won't work. It's like he's fighting it!" Derek sighed.

"Scott is tending to his wounds. When he's coherent, question him about what happened," I told him. "Deucalion declared war. We always knew it would be a matter of  _when_  not  _if_  he came to claim this ship."

"He doesn't deserve to have it! I have my Anchor now… the ship is rightfully mine!" Derek complained.

"Then stop moaning about it and fight to keep it! You're a fucking pirate for God's sake!" My nephew could be a complete idiot sometimes. "If he's your Anchor, then you know what else that makes him! Now do something about it!"

Derek stared out to sea, remaining silent for a while. "Thank you for saving him, Peter."

"Don't take it personally," I said dismissively. "I owed him a life debt. I've repaid it."

* * *

Scott was running out of whatever it was that made the pain go away. I couldn't eat… I could barely drink anything, and I was in so much pain. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see their faces… the dimly lit room… the awful pyramid-shaped chair.  _It wasn't Derek…_  I kept telling myself.  _It was the constable…_  But I saw him… and even if it wasn't him, they did it because Derek took the food that would help them survive the winter. My head was so scrambled that it hurt to even think.

I heard the cabin door open and felt a familiar hand on my forehead. I flinched away from it. "Please don't touch me…" I begged.

"Stiles, I can heal you," Derek pleaded. I opened my eyes to see him standing over me. I cowered back in fear. "I won't hurt you… please trust me…"

"Rule number one," I whimpered. "Never trust a pirate."

Derek sighed. "Please… I know I taught you that lesson, but I need you to forget it right now… You're my Anchor and that means it's my job to protect you…"

Rage boiled up in me out of nowhere. "And what a wonderful job you've done!" Derek looked like I'd stabbed him. Instantly the rage dissipated and I was left feeling hollow and sad. I curled up, resting my head against my knees. "What's happening to me?"

Derek sat next to me. "I'm not sure. But I want to help you. What did they do to you?"

I pressed my hands to the sides of my head, shaking it and squeezing my eyes tightly shut. "I don't know… it's so… confusing. Sometimes I see the Constable doing it… but then sometimes I see you and I… I'm not sure what's real. I feel like right now, I'm dreaming and I'm going to wake up and be on that device. It hurt so much…"

"I wouldn't hurt you like that," Derek whispered.

"But you have!" I countered. "The first two weeks every single time… it felt like you were slicing me open down there."

Again, Derek winced. "I'm sorry about that, Stiles… I truly am. It won't happen again. But I need to know… Is there anything they said that might be a clue?"

I concentrated, trying to piece together the fragments of memory I had from it. I was still in the fog from whatever Scott gave me. The strain was too much. I began crying. "If you're going to rape me again, Derek… just make it quick…" I whimpered.

"Would you rather talk to Scott?" Derek asked.

I nodded, looking away from the captain. There was a small voice telling me to confide in Derek and yet, every other part of my being wanted to get as far away from Derek as I possibly could. So much of me was afraid of him that I couldn't force that part of me that trusted Derek to take control. "I just want Scott."

Leaning over, Derek placed a tender kiss on my forehead, but I recoiled. "I asked you not to touch me!"

"I'm sorry," he sighed. For a moment, I thought I saw tears.

 _Good!_  I thought.  _I've shed enough tears in this room because of him…_

Derek disappeared. I leaned against the wall, still curled up, begging for the pain to go away. Scott appeared not long after with more medicine for me to take. It tasted awful. "Will this make it stop hurting?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes, it'll stop hurting." He sat next to me, helping me to bring the measure of tarry liquid to my lips. Scott had some water to help me wash it down with. "Why won't you let Derek heal you?"

"How do I know he won't hurt me instead?" I asked.

"You just have to trust him," Scott replied. "But he's genuinely worried about you. He only wants what's best."

"But when I close my eyes… sometimes I can see him… lowering me onto that thing…"

"It's called a Judas Cradle," Scott said.

"What?"

"The object they tortured you with. It's from long ago," he explained. He studied me closely. "Stiles, I need to know… you trust me, right?"

I could feel the medicine starting to hit me. The fog became thicker. "Yeah," I replied weakly.

"I killed the man who tortured you. Isaac held him down and I ripped out his heart because he violated your body and your mind. Derek was… and  _is_  beside himself with worry about you. You need to trust him. Let him heal you," Scott pleaded.

The fog was swallowing me up. I could barely focus on Scott, who was becoming blurry. "I'm tired…"

"Get some rest." Scott stood up, admitting defeat. "I'll come check on you in a few hours. But Derek needs to sleep too. If you wake up and he's in here, don't freak out. He's not going to touch you without your permission."

The fog overtook me and everything faded away.

* * *

Derek's connection to Stiles was straining. The ship was starting to get thrown off-balance. I could feel it. "He's out cold. Put your hand on him and force him to heal!" I said.

"If he doesn't want me to touch him, I won't touch him!" Derek snarled back.

"You're going to doom us all! Our continued survival…  _your_  continued survival has everything to do with your connection to that human!" I insisted. "Heal him!"

"Honestly, I don't even know if it would work," Scott interjected. "He's so afraid right now. His mind is a complete mess."

I stared out to the ocean. "What does any of that have to do with healing his body?"

"How can the body heal when the spirit is ripped to shreds?" Scott asked. "I mean, you saw the state he was in when we found him, Peter… did he really seem like a whole person?"

He made a good point. Stiles had been barely recognizable as human… the physical damage notwithstanding.

"So how do we fix his spirit?" Derek sounded worried.

"Love." Everybody looked at me like this was the last thing they expected from my mouth. "What?"

"I'm sorry… you're just not one for sentimentality," Derek said.

"Well, he's right," Scott replied. "Derek… you've just got to be patient… show him you love him."

"I don't love him!" Derek growled.

"You're an idiot," I muttered. "He's your fucking Mate. Of course you love him!"

Scott's neck cracked from the speed in which his head snapped to Derek. "He's your Mate?"

Derek scowled, his eyes glowing red in his anger. "A human anchor is the Captain's Mate. But he never asked for this!"

"Why didn't you say anything?" Scott asked. Scott might have had a heart of gold, but he was an imbecile through and through.

"Other people finding out that he's my Mate would put Stiles in more danger than he already is in," Derek said. "Not everyone knows the connection between Captain and Anchor. The crew just believes it brings harmony to the ship."

"And that's the way it needs to stay!" I snarled imperiously at Scott.

"I won't say anything," Scott said. "But we need a plan. I'm not the only one who's noticed that something is off now."

"We get Stiles to fall in love with Derek," I said. "It's simple enough."

"How is that simple?" Derek asked. "He's petrified of me."

"Oh my dear nephew," I chuckled. "A little Hale charm can go a very  _long_  way."

* * *

I emerged from the haze to find Derek sleeping beside me. He wasn't cuddled close to me, which seemed both comforting and strange. I watched his powerful chest rise and fall as he slept. He looked both beautiful and fearsome. The dual notions of his existence fought within me. Part of me wanted to lean over and kiss him. I didn't listen to that part. I could still feel the agony I'd been in when I was pushed face down into this mattress… or was it when I was bounced up and down on the pyramid?

I covered my face with my hands, trying to put the proper person with the correct occurrence. Derek woke up. "Stiles are you alright?"

"No," I answered. "I hurt…"

"Can I?" he asked, sitting up, his hand coming close to my arm.

"Why do you want to touch me?" I demanded.

He retracted his hand, pursing his lips. "I want to help you."

"Do you promise?"

He nodded. "I swear."

"I don't know what's real anymore," I confessed.

"But I do. I can help you."

"How?"

"I can start by getting rid of your pain," he replied. Slowly, his hand reached toward mine. My heart thundered as his fingertips brushed my skin. He grabbed my hand more tightly. I watched as veins in his skin flowed black and my pain melted away. I leaned against him.

"Thank you," I breathed.

"It's only temporary, but I can do that whenever you need me to," Derek said.

Without the pain to haze my thoughts, the voice that told me to trust him became a little stronger. My memories were still jagged and messy, but concentration became much easier. The voice was telling me to kiss him, but I wasn't sure I was ready to just yet.

"Derek?" I asked, my voice small.

"Yes?"

"Will you hold me?"

His reply was tender. He pulled me against him. Hesitantly, I rested my head on his chest as his arms wrapped me tightly. I felt scared and secure.

"It wasn't you who did any of this to me, was it?" I asked. Questions were the only way I was going to figure out truth from the fictions constructed in my head.

"No. I wouldn't hurt you like that," Derek replied.

"Why did they do it?"

"I don't know," he said softly. I could hear his heartbeat. It quickened when he said that.

"Please don't lie to me," I begged. "I deserve the truth."

His lips grazed my head as he sighed. "They hurt you to get to me."

"And that symbol they carved into me?"

"It was a declaration of war."

"From whom?"

"That's not important right now," his hand gently rubbed my shoulder. It felt soothing.

"I'll decide what's important," I said hotly.

"Trust me, Stiles."

"I'm trying to!" I insisted. "But I need answers. They almost killed me. I deserve to know why. What about me is so special that they could use me to send you a message? I am  _not_  this person. I don't just cower when there's danger. Usually I go finding it. But I'm scared right now. Something is going on and I need the whole story if I'm going to heal. You don't realize what it's like inside my head right now. Half of my memories are telling me that it was the Constable that did those things to me. The other half are telling me it was you. You keep telling me to trust you… give me a reason to."

"You wouldn't understand it," Derek replied.

"Try me."

"For you to be my Anchor, it means that you're my Mate. And that term is nearly impossible to explain," Derek started. He moved me so that he could search my eyes, trying to see if I understood. I didn't.

"What does that mean? Why should I trust you?"

Derek shifted slightly, pulling me against him again. "It means that I searched for you for more than 300 years. And I would search another 1000 years if it meant that by the end of it, you were in my arms again."

"You just want to be able to fuck me whenever you want to," I replied skeptically.

He sighed. I could sense that I was testing his patience. But there was something important that he wasn't saying and if he expected me to trust him, he needed to say it. "It isn't about sex, Stiles. At first, yeah… perhaps I went a little overboard on that. But if you were to tell me right now that you never again wanted to have sex with me, I'd be alright with it because I..." he paused. I leaned up, turning to watch him struggle with whatever it was he was about to say. "I love you, Stiles."

I turned away from him, putting my head back on his chest. I didn't say anything. I didn't know what  _to_  say. I felt even more confused than before. Trying to understand it all was draining. I was his Anchor and therefore his Mate… which meant he loved me. But it still didn't answer why I was abducted in the first place.

But then there was a trickle of memory from the night Derek told me the history of the ship. He warned me that things were about to become more dangerous for me. "Who else knows that I'm your Mate?"

"Scott, Peter and Deucalion," he replied.

There was that name again. I didn't understand why he kept coming up. "Who is Deucalion?"

"He's Marinus' son," Derek responded.

That made no sense to me. "But Marinus was the captain thousands of years ago."

I could feel Derek nod. "Exactly. Deucalion always thought the Black Wolf should be his because it was his birthright as the son of the first captain. He went to the Druids and stole much of their magic. He uses it to keep himself alive until he can gain control over the ship."

Isaac burst into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, sir. But there's something you might want to see," Isaac said.

I managed to crawl off of Derek. He bolted to the door and I limped behind him. Isaac placed a comforting hand on my shoulder as I followed Derek to the deck.

A handsome young man stood naked and wet on the deck of the ship. He looked scared. Derek approached the man. Peter looked worried.

"If I'm here… that means I'm…" the man started.

Derek nodded slowly. "We'll bring you where you need to go. Don't be afraid."

The man turned around slowly, his eyes widening when he saw Peter. "I'm so sorry…" The man rushed to Peter, who held him tightly.

"It's alright Jackson. I know it wasn't your fault," Peter replied, rubbing the man's back in the same way my father would often rub mine when I was upset.

Derek studied them. "You know each other?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So… This and the next chapter were originally written to be one chapter… but I realized that this was a good pause point because the next chapter is… well… you'll see tomorrow after my Beta Reader gets done with it. You'll learn (a little) more about Peter's time as Captain, as well as how exactly he knows Jackson. Stiles will also make a decision that will have far reaching effects for himself, Derek, and the crew. Let me know what you thought of this chapter and I'll have the next one posted ASAP!


	8. Recovery

_Derek studied them. "You know each other?"_

"He was my Beta. I turned him when we went to land while I was the Alpha of this ship. I wanted him to go and find the emissary for the Hale family. It was rumored that he survived the attack on our village," Peter explained.

"What happened?" I asked.

The boy peeled himself away from Peter. "Deucalion found me. He tortured me for information on the Black Wolf, but since I'd never even seen the ship, I didn't give him any. So he brought me onto his ship. You don't realize what he's done, Peter…"

"What do you mean?" Derek asked.

"It's no longer just Deucalion's pack on the ship. He killed all of his betas. He recruited Alphas to do the same thing… they're so much stronger now and there's a pack of them," Jackson told us. The other crew members were exchanging uneasy glances. "When he discovered your Anchor wasn't dead yet, he killed me so I could pass a message to the captain of the Black Wolf. Either you kill your Anchor and give him the ship, or he'll force you to kill every member of your crew and watch as he slaughters the Anchor before killing you."

I stood there in shock, clutching Derek's hand in an attempt to steady myself. "Heal me," I whispered.

Derek turned to Peter. "Jackson can stay with you until we bring him across. Comfort him. Make sure he's prepared for what he's about to face." Peter embraced his progeny once more, nodding to Derek before guiding him below deck. "The rest of you… put us at the equator. We have a mission."

Derek guided me back into his cabin. "Are you sure you want me to heal you?"

"Yes," I said. "I'm confused about nearly everything right now… but I can tell that you want to be good. And I know that Deucalion can't take this ship. You can't do your job if you're worried about me. So heal me."

Derek wrapped his arms tightly around me, kissing my forehead. I felt the injuries fading from me. Standing became easier. The wounds in my chest faded, leaving my skin unblemished.

"I'm not going to allow him to take this ship and I'm certainly not going to let you die. I want to make sure you know that," Derek vowed, staring into my eyes.

His eyes were hypnotic, making me feel detached from everything around me. The voice that wanted me to run into his arms and never let him go found strength and was beginning to conquer the voice telling me he was a monster, but I realized that I needed both voices because they were both true. Derek was a monster. He was that thing that went bump in the night. If I expected to survive, I could  _never_  forget that little detail. But he was also good and loving. And he loved me. That much I was certain about. Before I was abducted, I was growing to love him too and I needed to recapture that and use it because I had never before felt stronger than by his side and something told me he felt the same way. I pressed my lips to his. He seemed relieved that I was initiating the kiss, but he returned it with more passion than I had ever imagined possible, pressing me against the wall and lifting me so my legs were around his waist.

His touch felt right, though my participation in it felt wrong, but still I wanted to go further. He stopped kissing me to move me back to the bed and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Honestly? No," I sighed. Derek backed off, but I pulled him back on top of me.

"If you're not sure then I won't," Derek said. I could see his pulse throbbing in his neck and I could feel his cock through our clothes. "I promised you that I would never hurt you again."

"Part of me doesn't want this… but part of me does," I replied. "And the part of me that wants it is the same part that has been telling me that I should trust you. So I'm going to listen to that part for now."

Derek took his time to remove our clothing, licking and biting me playfully. He wrapped his fingers around my length and gently stroked it. My back arched and thrust myself into his palm.

He reached beneath me and slipped a finger inside. It hurt a little, but what he was doing to my cock felt amazing. He added another finger, replacing his hand with his mouth. It felt hot, wet, inviting. His tongue lapped over the head sending tingles throughout my body. "Is this what it feels like when I…"

He came off my mouth. "Yeah. It feels amazing, doesn't it?"

"Keep doing that," I chuckled. He added another finger, stretching me further. I watched as I disappeared back into his mouth, moaning as it enveloped me. Reaching down, I guided him further down onto me. He gagged as I hit the back of his throat, but it felt soft and tight. I enjoyed it.

A fourth finger was added. He began to move them a little. Every once in a while, the movement would bring a startling amount of pleasure. "Derek, I'm close…" I moaned. It was rare that I was ever permitted to orgasm. Usually, it happened on accident. It was a side-effect of Derek's search for his own pleasure, and if Derek found his before I found mine, then it was too bad for me. This was the very first time Derek was making my pleasure his mission. My muscles began to tighten and sensation built up within me. It washed over me, hitting me with more power than the waves the night of the storm. I erupted in his mouth. He worked hard to try and swallow it all down, but some dribbled out of the corner of his mouth. I wiped it away, licking my fingers and swallowing.

He grinned at me, moving back up, placing himself between my legs as he slowly pushed into me. It felt good to once again be stretched around him again. Derek knew how to work my body. Never before had he done it like this. Each thrust was powerful. He filled me up, forcing me to moan a symphony of praises to the prowess he was exhibiting. His lips kept teasing my ear, before turning back to my mouth. His tongue snaked between my lips. I could taste the remnants of myself. I felt closer to him than I ever had before. "Am I hurting you?" he asked when the kiss ended.

"No, it feels amazing," I replied.

His thrusts got stronger, more powerful. Each one hit me in just the right spot. One after another until I was coming again. He scraped my seed from our bodies and swallowed it. It was hot. He kept thrusting, sweat dripping off of him. His lips crashed against mine as he drove himself into me one last time. It hurt. It hurt a lot more than it ever had. And his seed seemed to take forever to stop flowing. "I can't move… something happened."

"What?" I asked. "It hurts…"

"Werewolves sometimes… when they're having sex… they knot," he said.

"We've had sex dozens of times," I grunted. "What's so different about this time?"

Derek chuckled. "No… we've fucked dozens of times. This was the first time we ever actually made love."

"It was beautiful," I admitted. "I liked it." I liked it a lot more than I ever had. And for the first time, I opened myself up to him.

"Since we're tied together," he said. "And likely will be for a while considering how long it's been since we last… I wanted to tell you that I love you."

"You said It earlier, too."

"And it's a crime that I waited so long to do so. I should have told you what you were to me from the beginning. I should have treated you better and I should never have let you go unaccompanied. I have failed you as a Mate. But it won't happen again," he said.

"I never said I love you back," I pointed out.

"And you don't have to," said Derek. "I don't deserve it."

"But I do," I said… "I mean… I did… At least part of me does… It's still very confusing. I already loved you before."

"Why? I didn't give you any reason to," Derek said.

"You started changing for me. Marrok was coming through less and less. And I wanted to be yours," I told him. "But what they did… it confused everything. It's getting clearer, though. Everything's coming back to me."

"Because we solidified our bond as Mates. We acted out of love and trust, not fear. Things should start getting better, but if they're ever foggy again, just come to me. I'll help put you back together because that's my job," he told me.

"And what do I do if you're not there?"

His knot faded and he slowly slid out of me. The massive amounts of his seed spilled from my body. I no longer felt disgusting for it. I wanted more of it. I wanted more of him. "I won't leave you again unless you want me to."

"Everything's changed now, hasn't it?"

"I'm afraid so. And not all for the better," Derek replied.

He took his place beside me. The contours of our bodies complimented one another. There was a burst of fear as he wrapped his arm around me, but I forced it down. I knew he could hear my heart racing.  _He won't hurt you_ , I told myself. He squeezed my hand to comfort me. I focused on the steady sounds of his heart and breath and soon, I was asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, as promised! The sex... finally! Let me know what you thought! I love the feedback you are giving me. It really helps fuel my creative fires!


	9. Spiral

A lurch of the ship woke me up. Looking over, I saw Derek's beautiful face sleeping peacefully. The line was now much more defined between what I went through on the boat versus what I went through in the dungeon. My body felt sore from what Derek and I had done together, but I loved the painful strain in my muscles. I somehow knew it was still very early in the morning so I rested my head and hand on Derek's powerful chest and tried to go back to sleep.

Powerful grips wrapped around my wrists, pinning me to the bed. Bright red eyes pierced the darkness, boring straight through me as a lean, powerful body pinned me to the bed. "Derek… stop…" I whispered.

A strange voice responded. I managed to look over and see that Derek was still there, asleep, and unaware of what was going on. My gaze returned to the strange figure, my pulse rose. A little peace was all I asked for... "I'm not Derek. I'm much more powerful than your sorry excuse of a captain." The smooth baritone held an icy coldness that unnerved me.

"What do you want? And how did you get in here without us knowing?" I demanded.

"I want this ship. And I want you dead," the voice responded.

"Deucalion?"

"So my reputation precedes me," he chuckled maliciously.

"You're never getting this ship… leave me alone!" I said, summoning what strength I had to try and throw him off of me. He was too strong. I could barely get him to budge.

"Did you really think that would work?" he asked.

"It was worth a shot," I replied before screaming out in pain as his claws dug into my chest. I felt my blood pouring down my torso as his fingers sunk deeper into my body.

"I will kill you, Anchor," he whispered. "But only once I've tortured you so fully that your mind unravels like a poorly-woven garment. And your precious captain will help me."

"He wouldn't do that!" I managed, trying to get Derek to wake up and rescue me from this.

"How naïve you are. You're in bed with a monster and you take a few tender words as a declaration of love and devotion," he chuckled before removing his hand. His fingers dripped with my blood. Pain exploded through me. I screamed loudly, trashing.

"Stiles!" Derek's voice cut through the chaos. I opened my eyes. Looking down, my chest was unsoiled and unmarked. The lamp was lit and Derek was standing over me, watching me. I was breathing heavily and the bed was soaked in my sweat.

"He was here. Deucalion, I mean. He had me pinned and… he put his hands into my chest… You just laid there… why didn't you help me?" I demanded.

He seemed confused. "I've been trying to wake you for the last ten minutes," he said. "You punched me in the face in your sleep."

He climbed into bed next to me, pulling my sweaty body toward him. His coarse hand rubbed my back as my heartbeat slowed. "It was so real, though…" I panted.

"I've got you," he cooed, continuing to comfort me as I tried to make sense of what happened.

* * *

The link between a werewolf and the one who turned him is strong, primal, and instinctual. There is a certain amount of sexual tension with a link like that. Typically, this is abated by the occasional elicit tryst, showcasing power and virility. And as Jackson's milky, smooth skin trembled beneath me, I worked hard to show him just how powerful and virile I still was.

We were to be at the equator within a day. Derek would be taking us over to the after so that Jackson could finally be at peace. I wanted to give him the centuries of pleasure I had missed out on. Of all the ones I had turned, he was my favorite. He was moody, ruthless, and charming. I once told him he could charm the gold from a leprechaun if he so had the mind. But despite all that, he had a genuine desire to serve and submit, which made him all the more appealing. Just looking at him, one wouldn't think that he would have this side. He seemed so cocky and in-charge, but behind that façade was another creature entirely.

As his body opened up, I entered without hesitation. He gripped me tightly, bowing forward in submission to me as I thrust ever deeper into him.

"I forgot how amazing you felt," I moaned, running my hands across his unblemished skin before swatting him powerfully on his bottom and leaving a large red mark.

I watched as he bit his lip, looking back at me and causing me to grin. Leaning forward, I kissed him deeply. Since it had been quite a while for me, I felt my orgasm starting to build rather quickly. My knot swelled and the urge to bury it in him became all-consuming. "Peter… it hurts!"

"Just… a little…. More…" I grunted, trying to get the giant knot past his tight ring. He screamed as it finally popped in.

I reached around and began stroking him furiously, trying to bring him to climax and force him to squeeze down around me. It was a slightly sadistic move, but he enjoyed it. He knew he'd be stuck on me for a very long time. He was the only person I ever knotted and I knew what that meant for us. It made the fact that I was about to deliver him to the afterlife that much harder. I didn't want to think about that, though. Instead, I focused on the pleasure of his ass spasming around me.

Even though Jackson was my Mate, he hadn't been my Anchor, otherwise he would have been on the ship with me and I would have turned somebody else and had that person try to find the druid emissary for my family. A task that important couldn't be left to just anyone, though, which is why I was glad Jackson was able to do it. It just pained me that he got caught between my nephew and Deucalion.

"What will it be like?" he asked as I carefully laid our bodies down, wanting him to be comfortable since we would be tied together for a while.

"I don't want to discuss it," I said dismissively. Losing one's Mate was worse than losing a limb. It was like having your soul ripped in half and being forced to feel that pain every day once you were separated. I considered asking Derek to keep him here with us and allow him to sail with me for eternity. But the risk was too great. Derek was able to keep me here because Alpha passed to him right before I died and he forced me to stay alive in that weakened state for days before allowing me to heal. Jackson was dead entirely. Eventually, he would go mad and become vengeful like Marinus did. I didn't want to see that happen to him.

"But Derek told you to prepare me!" he protested.

I moved my hips a little, causing him pain and forcing him to be quiet. "I'm the one who has to stay on to mourn you for eternity, Jackson. Please… let me spend this little time with you while I can."

* * *

As Peter spent the last of his time with Jackson, Derek relied on Scott to act as temporary first Mate. He offered it to me, but I declined. I was too shaken up by the idea that Deucalion could just invade my dreams like that. Derek insisted it was merely a nightmare, but I knew there was something more to it.

It was Isaac who announced that we had finally reached the equator. Derek retreated to our cabin and retrieved an ancient looking book and several long black candles, flipping to a page very near the beginning. Derek set the candles in a configuration very closely resembling the constellation Cetus. After lighting the candles and reading an inscription, winds began whipping around the ship. As I rushed to the side, I could see the water around us beginning to swirl, gaining speed. The ship began to descend into a whirlpool. Water began to crash over us, though nothing got wet. This was truly magic. It was as though a giant bubble of air had encapsulated the ship as we descended deeper and deeper into the ocean.

I returned to Derek's side. He looked out over his crew as he wrapped his arms around my waist and protectively pulled me toward him. After what seemed like hours of watching the water rise over the ship, it seemed as though we were heading back to the surface.

The word we emerged into was no world I recognized. Everything had a colorless gray quality to it that unnerved me. There were strange smells and sounds to accompany the odd sights. I squeezed Derek's hand tightly. "Where are we?"

"We're in Purgatory," Derek replied.

"We can't just drop Jackson off in Purgatory!" I protested. I remembered the stories from Church when I was young. Jackson would suffer until he burned off his sin and got to go to heaven.

"It doesn't work like the myths say," Derek said. "Purgatory is a sort of entryway to the rest of the afterlife. We simply bring Jackson to the shore. From there he'll be sent where he needs to go. We'll never even know where he ends up."

"I don't like this," I muttered, looking around. I began to hear my name being called by a familiar, calm female voice.  _Stiles! Where are you?_ "Who's calling for me?"

"Nobody," Derek replied.

"No… I hear my name!"

 _Stiles… come look at the water, Stiles. It's lovely…_  I wriggled out of Derek's protective grip and rushed to the starboard bow, where the noise was coming from.

"Stiles, where are you going?" Derek asked.

"I'll be right back," I replied, narrowing my eyes as I leaned over to see who was trying to get my attention.

_Stiles… isn't the water lovely? Come swim with me. Just like when you were young._

"Mom?" I called.

_Stiles! Jump in, I'll catch you!_

I began pulling off my shirt and tossed it aside. I could hear Derek yelling at me, asking what I was doing, but I was too focused on my mother's voice. I climbed up on the bow, staring into the gray waters that flowed below.

"Stiles! NO!" Derek yelled. I heard people scrambling to get me as I leaned forward and began plummeting toward the water. I stopped abruptly as a powerful hand grabbed my ankle, leaving me dangling for several moments before he lifted me up. I was kicking and screaming for whoever it was to drop me.

"I want to go swimming with my mother!" I screamed, unaware of how ridiculous it might have sounded to them. Once I was pulled back up, Isaac pinned me to the deck. I fought hard to get him off of me.

* * *

I knew we were approaching the shore. I helped Jackson into some of my clothes. Since I was much larger than him, they engulfed his small frame. "Peter, I'm scared."

"I know," I said softly. "But I'll be with you for as long as I can."

"What's going to happen to me?" His voice was cracking and he was beginning to shake. He looked up at me with tears in his eyes.

"I don't know," I admitted, wiping away the salty water with my thumbs. "But you'll be strong."

"Can you come with me?" he asked.

My resolve to not cry was straining. "Derek would never let me."

"But if you told him that I'm your Mate, maybe he would…"

I shook my head. "He's never going to let me leave. And if he knew I was enduring that kind of torment, he'd just be that much more likely to make me stay," I replied.

Jackson buried his head in my chest, sobbing. "I don't want to lose you again."

Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. "Me neither."

The commotion outside was what led me to finally lead Jackson outside. His hands clamped onto me, but I didn't blame him. He was scared with every reason to be. And I was afraid, too. He was my Mate, after all, and I was hand-delivering him to the afterlife.

Seeing Isaac crouched over Stiles in that manner would have, under normal circumstances, both amused me and turned me on. "What's wrong with him now?" I demanded.

"He said he was hearing his mother… and he tried to jump overboard," Derek said.

"Maybe you should have let him," I growled.

Derek shot me a rude glare. "We're almost to the shore. He's going to feel the pull soon. Perhaps you should tend to him and leave Stiles to me."

I heard Jackson whimper and he clutched me ever tighter. "I don't want to go…"

"You have to, my love," I whispered. "Staying can have dire consequences."

I had to keep reminding myself that this was what was best for him. I wanted him to be at peace. And I wanted him by my side.

"Please," Jackson begged. "It's not fair… a few days after centuries apart. And now eternity…"

I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to memorize his scent in the last moments I had with him. "I'm so sorry," I whispered.

Jackson grunted, clutching his chest. "What is that?"

It was starting. He was being pulled to shore. "We only have moments left…"

"Peter please… I want to stay," Jackson begged. "Please…"

Tears poured from my eyes. "I want you to stay, too. But you have to go. You'll be at peace. It's better this way."

"I'm not with you… how is that better?" Jackson sobbed.

I could hear other crew members sniffling as they watched us. Jackson began to move away. I walked alongside him as he begged for me to help him… to trap him on this ship. But I knew the consequences and I simply couldn't bring myself to do it. I loved him too much. Once we were at the bow and his feet began to leave the deck, he screamed for me and I wanted so badly to join him. "Derek… Let me go with him…" I begged, holding Jackson's hand, acting as the one thing that kept him from being sucked to the island. "I saved your mate… let me go with him!"

But my nephew couldn't even look me in the eyes as he said "No." I fell to my knees, pressing my lips against Jackson's one last time before letting him go.

"PETER!" he screamed as the invisible force sucked him toward the island. I sobbed, beating my fists into the deck until they were bloody.

And then I felt it… the rip that told me he was gone for good. It felt like I had been literally torn in half. Dying at Derek's hands was not this painful. I felt rage build up in me. I turned to Derek, my eyes still red with tears. "I hope you one day have to feel what it's like to lose your Mate," I snarled, glaring ominously at Stiles. "You better keep one eye on him at all times."

"Peter… I didn't know," Derek said.

"BECAUSE YOU WERE TOO CONSUMED WITH PUNISHING ME!" I roared. "Well congratulations, Derek! You fucking won!"

I ran at him, shoving him hard and tossing him off his feet. Before walking away. I extended my claws and on the door that lead to Derek and Stiles' cabin, I scratched a large spiral. Derek would know the pain I felt. I would make sure of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought! Things are getting much more complicated aboard the Black Wolf.


	10. Sight

"What does that mean?" I asked as Isaac, Derek, Scott and I stared at the symbol carved in the door.

"It's our symbol for revenge," Derek said softly, his eyes never leaving the door.

"Does that mean he's going to try and kill you?" I asked.

"No," Scott replied. "It means he's going to kill you, Stiles."

"We won't let him," Isaac asserted.

"Isaac, Scott… I want full protective duty on Stiles until we get back to our world… and we're bringing him to land. He's safe from Peter there," Derek ordered.

I shook my head. "No. I'm not leaving you Derek… And why can't you see that there's an obvious solution to this. Let him go! Let him be with Jackson."

Derek's eyes flashed red momentarily. "I am the captain of this ship!"

"And he's your Uncle… and he just lost his Mate!" I argued. "What would you do if the tables were turned?"

"Sir, as long as Stiles stays on this ship, he's safer. Peter can't maliciously touch another person. And we can keep him safe from Deucalion," Scott pointed out.

"Or we could let Peter go with his Mate and then I stay on the ship," I added.

"ENOUGH!" Derek bellowed. "Peter is more useful to us here. He will be released when I say he will. And the rest of you will follow my orders! We're bringing the ship back to our world. Isaac, escort Stiles to my cabin and make sure nobody else enters."

"Come on, my friend," Isaac said, putting his arm around me and leading me to the cabin, which now felt more like a prison. I felt awful for Peter, and I was livid with Derek. Peter saved my life and the little time he spent with Jackson was the happiest I'd seen him since we first met. As I lay back and stared at the ceiling, I felt a presence in the room with me.

"Hello?" I called cautiously, sitting back up. "Isaac?"

"The faithful pup is obeying his Alpha," replied a strong voice and an accent I'd never heard.

"Who's there?" I demanded.

"You know my name," the voice replied.

"This isn't funny! I'll go get Derek!"

"You labor under the assumption that as an Anchor you are weaker than the Alpha tied to you," the voice replied. "That's simply untrue. You have way more power than he ever will. That's the reason anchors became so important, you know."

"Show yourself!" my voice cracked. I was tired of being the helpless human, surrounded by supernatural forces I didn't understand. I wasn't going to be scared witless by a strange voice calling to me from my bedroom.

The room got cold enough that I could see my breath in the flickering lamp light. "I am Marinus."

"The first captain?" my jaw dropped. "But you're dead…"

"No, I am a part of this ship now. I'll never die. But if you don't heed my warnings, the same can't be said of you and your Mate," the voice began to match the wispy visage of a man appearing before me. He had strong, Roman features, long black, wild hair. His eyes were a fierce Alpha red. He was both handsome and fearsome. "What my son is doing is a crime against nature. It cannot be permitted!"

"How do we stop him?" I demanded.

"Not we," Marinus corrected. "The power of the ship has always rest with the Anchor. You keep the captain centered. It is your voice he listens to above all. He draws more power from you than you'll ever know."

"That doesn't answer my question!" I griped. "Deucalion needs to be stopped… but Jackson said he's more powerful than ever and he's surrounded by equally powerful Alphas."

"Have you ever been explained how a pack works?" Marinus asked. "The betas all submit to the Alpha who draws his power from them, and they from him. The individual parts increase the overall power of the whole by simply being there. The Black Wolf has, since its creation, been the most powerful pack in the world from its size alone. But never since I sailed it did it have the one ingredient that truly ties the ship together: a force of purity and goodness unrivaled in this world or the next. And as of yet, it still doesn't. Derek may have found his Anchor but until he knows how to use it, he is doomed to the same fate every captain before him was."

"Why must every werewolf speak in riddles?" I fumed.

Marinus suddenly looked angry. "It is not my job to paint the picture for you! I am here to give you the information you need so that when the time is right, you can make the best decision. Derek may be the Alpha, but rest assured, Anchor… the overall success or failure in your mission lies squarely on your shoulders and nobody else's. There is a gift that has run in my family since the dawn of time. I have it and my son has it. But without it, you cannot hope to win so here. And know that while I want you to stop my son and deliver him to me so that I can punish him as the laws of nature decree, I will not be helping you again and if you fail, the world will pay the consequences. And that fault will be yours."

I stared at him in horror as he approached me, his hands reaching to my face. He cupped his palms over my eyes and suddenly it felt like he was burning them out of their sockets. I screamed in pain.

Instantly, he was gone and Derek and Isaac ran into the cabin to find me writhing in pain on the bed. "Stiles! What happened?" Derek demanded.

I was afraid to open my eyes, scared that I was blind. The pain was so consuming. However, when I finally did, I was overjoyed to learn that I wasn't, in fact, without sight. I could actually see far more than I ever did before. Everything was suddenly crystal clear and on occasion, I could see little threads of light linking everyone. Some threads were larger, like the one between me and Derek. Others were less pronounced, like the links between me and Isaac.

There was more information going through my head. I could see the repercussions of decisions, the most damning of which was the decision Peter had made to kill me. I closed my eyes shut and tried to figure out how best use this new ability with the information Marinus had given me.

Peter needed to cross over. Everything else depended on that. "Why are you keeping Peter alive?" I asked.

"Why are all of my decisions being questioned?" Derek demanded.

"Damnit, Derek!" I growled. "Answer me! You're putting everyone in danger, so unless you have a good reason, you have to let him go!"

"Says who?"

Now was the moment to truly see if Marinus was correct. I moved to my feet, glaring straight into Derek's eyes. "Says the Anchor!"

We stared at each other for several minutes. I could see his resolve faltering and he looked away. "He needs to know what he did was wrong," Derek sighed.

"What happens to a werewolf whose Mate dies?" I asked.

"They live in agony," Derek replied. "Until they can be together in the afterlife."

"So now, do you see where I'm taking this?"

"He killed our captain in cold blood!" Derek insisted.

"And he sailed with you as your prisoner for centuries… and now he's been separated from his Mate. I think he has suffered enough. Let him go!" I ordered.

"I don't take orders from humans," Derek warned. For a moment, I saw the link between us falter.

"Then take one from your Mate," I said.

"Why do you want to protect him?"

"This isn't about him!" I countered. "This is about the fact that if he's allowed to live, he will kill me. And without your Anchor, you will not be able to defeat Deucalion."

"How do you know all of this?" he asked.

"Marinus came to me. He wants to see Deucalion stopped just as much as we do. But it can't happen without me and if Peter stays alive, then I die," I explained.

Derek turned around, ordering Isaac to continue keeping watch. After about an hour of boredom, I was summoned to the deck. We were once again approaching the shore where we'd brought Jackson. I could once again hear my mother's voice calling to me.  _Stiles… you never came swimming with me. I'm lonely, Stiles._

Peter stood, bound to the mast. His eyes were red from crying, but he remained defiant. "Since you want him to be released, then who should kill him?" Derek asked. "Should I do it since I've done it before? Or maybe I should make a murderer out of Isaac or Scott? Or perhaps you would enjoy the deed?"

"Derek… I only know what I've seen. He will end up killing me!"

"You're damn right I will!" Peter growled. "I will rip open your throat and eat what's inside you pathetic sack!"

Glaring at me, Derek's chest heaved. "Do you see the position I'm in now? Do you see why I don't want to do this?"

"Then why didn't you say that in the first place?" I demanded.

"I feel guilt from killing him in the first place! He is the last relative I have left. I'm not exactly ready to see him die," Derek said.

"But you'd force him to live on in agony?"

"I can manage the pain," Peter chuckled. "Fantasizing about your death helps…"

The crew murmured to one another. Derek pulled a sword and handed it to me. "If you want him dead, then you have to be the one to do it."

I searched for the link between Derek and Peter. It was strong on Derek's end, but nonexistent on Peter's. I focused on the decision. It appeared that my newfound gift worked that way. I wanted to know what might happen if I went through with it and killed Peter. Everything looked fuzzy. Suddenly I was no longer on the Black Wolf. I was on another ship. There were people surrounding me.

" _How do we get to the Alpha when the Anchor can see us coming?" a beautiful woman asked._

" _It's simple, Kali," Deucalion's smooth baritone replied. "We take the Anchor out of the equation?"_

" _But how?" A scarily large man with strong features asked._

" _He wasn't born with his sight. My treacherous father gave it to him. We already know his grip on reality is fragile at best. We'll use that against him. When we finally attack, the Anchor will be so busy fighting Derek that the ship will be practically given to me," Deucalion replied._

" _And how do we know you'll keep your end of the deal once we get the ship?" Kali asked._

_Deucalion laughed. "My dear Kali… have you ever heard of Rule number one?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Let me know what you think! How and who should be the one to kill Peter? Should Peter be allowed to live? Those questions will definitely be answered in the next chapter. There's also going to be some beautiful sexy time soon (possibly not next chapter... but soon).


	11. To Judge a Book

As I returned to my own consciousness, armed with the information of how Deucalion intended to use me against Derek and the crew, I felt the heavy sword in my hand. I looked up at Peter's face, twisted with rage and I knew what I had to do, but I couldn't bring myself to swing the blade.

"Well?" Derek demanded. "Peter's death was so important to you before. What changed?"

I glared at Derek before returning my attention to Peter. "Do you  _want_  to die?" I asked him.

"Not before I rip you apart so I can see the agony on Derek's face," he spat.

Derek shifted nervously. I took a deep breath. "I'm trying to help you, Peter. I want you and Jackson to be together, but I'm not going to kill you if you don't want to die."

"You consider yourself an angel of mercy?" Peter scoffed. A sick grin parted his lips. "Yes. I want to die."

Taking another deep breath, I raised the tip of the sword to his stomach and after several moments to steel my nerves, I said, "I hope you find peace with Jackson." His eyes narrowed as I plunged the sword forward. He let out a scream of pain as everyone else gasped. I pulled the sword out of his gut and dropped it, shaking intensely. Peter's shirt became instantly stained a deep crimson.

Though I knew I had done the right thing, I was horrified. Peter began to laugh. "Do you feel that?" he asked. "That darkness seeping into your heart? That little voice that says that maybe you enjoyed taking my life… and maybe you might want to take another?" A cough interrupted him as blood began to stain his teeth and run out of the sides of his mouth. "This is better than having killed you myself. This is going to make you as cold and dead inside as I am and then it'll be  _Derek_  who has to kill you." There was another bout of maniacal laughter followed by more bloody coughs. I desperately wished that these were simply the dying words of a madman but as I looked to Derek for some sign that my hopes were well-founded, the look of sheer terror on his face dashed those hopes.

More blood spilled down Peter's abdomen. I slowly backed away. Peter's breath was ever shallower until his body went limp against the ropes that tied him to the mast. Derek approached his uncle, using his claws to cut the rope, catching the body as it fell. I wanted to comfort Derek, but I was unsure how receptive he might be considering I killed his last remaining family member.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Peter," Derek sobbed, holding the body close. Peter's body began to rise out of Derek's arms, being pulled to shore by the invisible force. I felt awful. The other crew members made a salute of respect as we watched Peter disappear. Derek turned around, "Bring us back to our world," before disappearing into our cabin. Cautiously, I followed him.

"Derek…" I said softly, "I'm sorry…"

As he climbed into the bed, he turned his back to me. "I know you were just doing what you felt you need to do… but right now, I need some space. Stay with Scott or Isaac tonight."

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I couldn't blame him. I went back to the deck and found Isaac and Scott standing next to the helm. The ship was surrounded by that strange bubble, and once again, I couldn't tell whether or not we were descending into or rising out of the ocean. "Is the Captain alright?" Isaac asked.

"I tried to talk to him, but he said I need to stay with you or Scott tonight," I replied.

Isaac pulled me into a hug. "He'll be okay eventually. Just give him some time."

* * *

Derek didn't show up in the galley for dinner that night. When it was time for bed, I opted to share Scott's room. He set up an extra hammock. It wasn't as comfortable as the lumpy bed I was used to, and without Derek to cuddle next to, I was incapable of falling asleep. After several hours of restless turning, I got up and went back on deck.

To my surprise, Derek was there. Immediately, I moved to turn around and head back below deck. "It's alright," Derek said. "You and I need to discuss it eventually."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He turned around and looked at me. It was obvious that he'd been crying. "I understand why you did what you did. I know you acted out of mercy, not malice. But he was my last relative."

"I know," I whispered. "And I'm sorry that you lost him, but he's going to be happier this way."

Derek motioned for me to approach him, so I did, looking out over the side at the water shimmering under the moonlight. He put his arm around me. "Do you want to know the most fucked up thing about all of this?"

"Sure…" I said.

"As I was holding his body… mourning my uncle… I felt relief," he admitted. "I felt relief that I wasn't the one who had to kill him… that he didn't get the opportunity to kill you."

"That isn't fucked up, Derek," I told him.

"His body was still warm and all I could think about was that I was glad it wasn't yours…" he said. "How is that not fucked up?"

I hugged him tightly. "I love you, Derek. But I need you to promise me something."

"What is it?"

I stepped back, looking into his eyes. "If what Peter said is true… if I turn cold and evil… I need to know that you'll do what it takes."

"I can't make that promise, Stiles. And I can't be the one who kills you," he said.

I nodded. I understood his refusal, but I really wished that he would have agreed. I focused on our bond. I could see it burning like a flaming tether between us. It was comforting to know that he forgave me.

"There's something else you need to know, Derek," I said. "Deucalion intends on using me against you. He wants to break my arguably already fragile grip on reality. He's going to exploit the abilities Marinus gave to me."

"How do you know this?"

"Before I killed Peter, I focused on the decision… I saw myself surrounded by Deucalion and the other Alphas. He was explaining to them what he wants to do. But Marinus said that the Anchor is always more powerful than the Alpha tied to it. He explained that even though you've found me, until we learn how to tap into the power of our connection… we're going to lose," I explained.

Derek placed his hand affectionately on my cheek. "We'll figure it out, Stiles. I promise. I'll help anchor you to reality just like you help anchor me to my humanity."

I placed my hand on top of his. "I love you, Derek," I said, looking up into his eyes.

"I love you, too," he replied, leaning down, pressing his lips to mine.

I allowed my lips to part and his tongue snaked in, I relished the taste of it. I loved the feel of his body against me. When the kiss broke, I rested my hands on his strong chest. "Can we go to bed now?"

He smiled back. "Of course."

* * *

His body moved on top of me. His lips trailed kisses down my back. "Do you want me, Stiles?" he asked.

I nodded. I felt him at my entrance, pressing into me. I gasped as my body welcomed my Alpha, stretching to accommodate his girth. His movements were torturously slow and pleasurable. He thrust deeply into me, causing me to moan in pleasure.

"How does it feel?" he asked.

"It's amazing," I replied. A particularly strong thrust caused me to grunt, pain bursting into my consciousness for a moment. "Ah… Derek… that one hurt." Several more thrusts like that made me realize instantly that something was wrong. "Derek stop…"

I turned around, gazing into the huge, red eyes of Deucalion. "Did you miss me?"

"Get off of me!" I ordered. "This isn't real… you're playing with my mind."

"Am I, Anchor?" he asked. "If it's not real… then how do you feel me thrusting?"

"It's not real," I repeated over and over, squeezing my eyes shut for several moments and opening them until the image faded.

"What's not real?" Derek asked. I could tell that he had just pulled out of me by the way my ass felt.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry… I just… it's nothing."

"I don't believe you," Derek replied. "I can't protect you if I don't know the whole story, my love."

I took a deep breath. "I saw Deucalion just now."

"Is that why you told me to stop?" he asked. I nodded. "Do you want to continue? We can stop for tonight if you want… I'm okay with it either way."

"No… let's keep going," I replied, needing release.

"You sure?" he asked, his eyes searching for any hesitancy. I nodded my assurances and he flipped me onto my stomach. "I want you to be able to watch me… to know that this is me making love to you." He pushed back into me, staring into my eyes. I felt my stomach flutter as I felt him moving inside me. "This is just me and you, Stiles… Focus on me. Feel me… smell me…" He craned his neck to kiss me. "Taste me."

"Faster," I begged, staring into his eyes. His insistence on bringing in as many senses as possible helped keep me grounded in the moment. It wasn't until I allowed my mind to wander that I got flashes of Deucalion, but I went back to focusing on Derek's voice.

"Stay with me, Stiles… Let this be me," Derek cooed as his pace increased, but stayed agonizingly sensual.

I squeezed around him as I could feel my orgasm approaching. "Derek… I'm close," I grunted.

"Me too," he panted, speeding up a little more. I came, my hips bucking slightly as he, too came. His eyes flashed red and his fangs elongated. He let out a roar before coming perilously close to biting me.

"Derek!" I cried. "What are you doing?"

His knot expanded inside me, causing pain as his seed began to pour into me. He seemed dazed. Shaking his head, his fangs faded and his eyes returned to normal. "I'm sorry… I… that was a mistake."

"What happened?" I asked him.

"I had an urge to bite you… but I can't bite you," he said, still dazed from his lack of control.

"Why can't you?" I asked.

He struggled to find a comfortable position that would allow him to relax while he recovered without his knot pulling on me. When he managed, he finally replied, "If I bite you, you could turn into a werewolf. As an Anchor, you will reject the bite and die a very painful death."

I winced. "That sounds… fun…"

He shook his head. "No. Don't even joke about that. I can't bite you…. Not ever."

I caressed his cheek, which was rough with stubble. "Okay. I'm sorry."

* * *

The next day, I sat on the edge of the bed, watching Derek pull on clothes. "It's truly a shame to hide such a beautiful sight from the light of day," I said, admiring my view of his nude body.

"This sight is only for your eyes," he replied with a smile. "And if you want to see it, all you have to do is ask." As he added the last of his vestments, I gave him a playful frown. "I'm needed on deck… and Scott needs you in the galley."

I sighed before pulling on my own clothes, feeling some of his seed leaking out of me as I moved. As I entered the galley, Scott greeted me warmly. "You two made up quickly!"

"I'm a pretty hard guy to stay mad at," I replied. "I mean look at this smile…"

"Alright, prince charming! Let's get to work. Derek wants you to be trained as a first mate," he said.

"No… that's your job!" I replied.

"Only until you're trained. You're the Captain's Mate… it's really only fitting you be his go-to guy as well," Scott continued. He disappeared for a few minutes, bringing back a chest that looked rather heavy. "You're going to need to study this."

"What's in that?"

"Books… lots and lots of books," Scott said. "Do you want them in here, or in your cabin?"

"The cabin is more comfortable," I replied.

Scott rolled his eyes. "Of course…" He strained to pick the chest back up. I held doors open for him as he brought it to the cabin I shared with Derek, setting it in a corner. "If you have any questions, feel free to come find me.

I thanked him and opened the chest, digging through it. I figured I'd get the most boring stuff out of the way. There were books on astronomy, trigonometry, knot tying, geology, cartography, and all other subject matters pertaining to life at sea. I spread the books on the bed around me, thinking that the pile would never stop growing until at long last, I reached the final book. It was old… ancient, even. On the cover was the image of the wolf that decorated our flag. Engraved were the words "Anchoram lupus".

I opened the book, the text was entirely in Latin. I went back down to the galley. "I can't read Latin. How am I supposed to study all of the books if I can't read what's written in them?"

"Those books are in English," Scott replied.

"No," I argued, setting the book down, pointing at it. "That's Latin."

Scott walked over, gazing at the page. "There's nothing written there. Why not use it as a journal…"

Looking down at the page, I scanned it. The words morphed. Suddenly Latin became English. "Wait… I can read it now."

"Stop reading a book with nothing in it and start studying something of worth," Scott chastised.

"Yeah… I'll do that," lied, returning to the cabin. The book explained everything about being an Anchor. According to the book, there were people who could act as Anchors when they were needed. The Captain could bring them into the Pack and draw on them for stability to keep himself grounded during times of trouble. Then there were True Anchors. They were rare, happening once every few centuries. They have the power to affect change even before the Captain officially brought them into the Pack. However, once a member of the pack, they become a solid rock and foundation, grounding the Captain and everyone else through love. In return, the True Anchor could draw on the strength of Pack to help protect it when the ship was in danger.

I flipped through the book, trying to figure out exactly how Derek should bring me into the pack. I found a section on biting. My eyes widened. I reread the section several times to make sure I understood it before running out to the deck to find Derek.

"How is your studying going?" he asked as I joined him at the helm.

"It's been very… informative," I replied. "I found this book about Anchors."

"It's a very important part of the ship… but does it require an entire book?" Derek asked skeptically.

"No… not  _that_  kind of anchor… I mean Anchors… like me," I corrected. "It explains how to tap into my power…"

"That's exactly what we need!" he replied. He picked me up, spinning me excitedly as he kissed me, before setting me back down. "How? What do we do?"

"At night… when we're… having fun… we bite each other," I explained, trying to be as modest as possible because I knew the likelihood of others listening might be high.

"You can't be bitten, Stiles!" Derek said angrily.

"It says so right here!" I showed him the page.

"There's nothing written here!" Derek growled. "Now stop interrupting me with your death wish. I'm not biting you!"

"Derek… don't you trust me?" I did nothing to hide the hurt in my voice.

"How do you know this isn't Deucalion trying to get me to kill you?" Derek pointed out. "What if I bite you and you die…"

"But what if you bite me and I don't!"

"I won't risk it!" Derek shouted. "Do not bring it up again!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So... is the book real? or is Derek right... that Deucalion is tricking him yet again? You'll find out next chapter. Also... I've changed my tumblr url. It is now "forevermyalpha" so add me if you'd like!


	12. Inquisitions

"I don't know why you keep asking me, Stiles," Isaac said. "The answer won't change. You know that. Derek is a tough nut to crack and I don't think you'll be so lucky again."

"I know what I read in that book," I replied. "Derek needs to bite me."

Isaac sighed. I could tell he was getting exasperated. "Stiles, you know what you  _think_  you read in that book. What if Derek's right? What if Deucalion is just using that strange link you guys have to doom us to death? It wouldn't be the first time he made you see something that wasn't there."

I felt hurt. Isaac had been my final hold-out. "Why will nobody believe me?"

"Don't you think that it's even the slightest bit coincidental that Marinus and Deucalion natively speak Latin and that's the language you saw first?" Isaac asked. I remained silent, not wanting to show him how upset I was that the two friends I had on this ship refused to believe me. "If you die, we're all doomed. You can't blame Derek for taking the safe path on this one."

"I'm glad my death would be so tragic to you," I scoffed.

Isaac shook his head. "I didn't mean it to sound like that… you've become a part of the crew… you've become our friend so of course we'd all be upset if you died. But the fact still remains: we cannot hope to survive without you. "

I wanted nothing more than to punch him, but by this point, I knew better than to act violently toward a werewolf. "You don't understand," I muttered, turning to leave. I was behind in my studying of actual First Mate stuff and Scott was beginning to feel the strain of all the responsibilities he was facing.

"You're right," Isaac admitted. "None of us know what you're going through… but at the same time, you have no right to gamble our lives on what might be a figment of your imagination. We're a Pack, Stiles. And you're a part of that Pack now… you need to see the bigger picture."

"But that's the thing!" I argued. "I  _can_  see a bigger picture. I can see what happens if Derek doesn't bite me."

"Maybe there's one detail you can't see… something that Deucalion is hiding from you because this is the easiest outcome for him," Isaac said.

When I couldn't take the conversation any longer, I  _did_  leave, returning to mine and Derek's cabin where Derek was writing in his journal. I knew that the last time we had sex, he had a hard time controlling his urge to bite me. I decided that perhaps I could seduce him and it would happen in the heat of the moment. I greeted him with a playful nibble on his ear, running my hands along his broad, sinewy shoulders. Derek was one of the sexiest men I'd ever seen, so seducing him would be a breeze on my part, I thought.

"What are you doing?" he grunted.

"You seem tense," I replied letting my lips trail from his ear down his neck, brushing against his rough stubble. "It's my job to help relieve your tensions, isn't it?"

"Stiles, I'm busy," Derek growled, shoving me off. I frowned, trying to get close to him again. A snarl escaped his mouth and he stared at me, his eyes glowing red. "I said no! I'm busy. You're spending your time doing god knows what when you should be studying what you need to become First Mate. I put a lot of trust in you, Stiles. I'm starting to wonder if perhaps it was misplaced."

"How can you say that?" I asked.

Derek shrugged. "Am I wrong? Did I place my trust in the right person?"

"Of course," I told him. "I'm your Mate… I'm your Anchor."

The resulting silence was choking. I picked up my book and tossed myself onto the bed, wondering if Derek somehow knew about the conversation I'd just had with Isaac. "I'm sorry if I accidentally did something to upset you, Derek."

I watched. Derek stopped writing and looked straight ahead at his map, not bothering to turn around to meet my gaze. "Funny thing about deliberate disobedience, Stiles… It isn't something you can  _accidentally_  do."

"Derek… I…"

"I thought you might have learned your lesson considering what happened last time you disobeyed me like that," Derek said, finally turning to face me. "You know what happens when a werewolf loses his Mate. You fought tirelessly to reunite Peter and Jackson… yet you're doing everything it takes to get me to possibly kill you."

"I'm doing everything I can to try and help this crew survive!" I replied. "I didn't mean anything by it… but I keep having visions. Every time I focus on the decision to bite me or not to bite me… it happens. If you don't bite me, everyone dies. The book said you need to bring me into the pack. That's the only way to do it, unless you know something I don't."

"I know a lot of things you don't, Stiles. One of them being that I'm not going to bite you," he replied. "Dinner's almost ready. I'll see you in the galley and this is the last I want to hear of the matter. Do you understand me?" I nodded and he stormed out of the cabin.

I skipped dinner, instead, reading through the Anchor book. When the lamp began to flicker, I looked up from the page. Marinus was standing in front of me. "I thought you said you weren't going to help me anymore."

"Oh I don't intend to help you," Marinus said. "I won't tell you anything you don't already know, or at least suspect to be the truth."

"The book is real, isn't it?" I asked.

"Oh it is very real. The words it holds were spoken by Neptune and written down by  _my_  Anchor. To question them is sacrilege," Marinus replied.

"Then why won't Derek listen to me?" I asked.

"Because nothing you say will convince him otherwise," the ancient Alpha told me. I had to admit he was right… he really wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know.

"Then how do I get him to change his mind?" This was the question that was most necessary.

"You have to show him the truth," Marinus gestured at the book.

There was one problem with that. "I'm the only one on this ship who can read this book. Everyone else sees blank pages."

"Hmm, it would appear they do," Marinus mused unhelpfully. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"I wish I could just show Derek the truth!" I said shaking my head in frustration. I sat there in silence for several minutes before looking up to see if he had any more useless commentary. Unsurprisingly he was gone. "Fucking ghost wolves…" I muttered, returning to the reading. A little while later, Derek returned, looking full and happy. He had a plate in hand.

Setting it down on the desk, he looked at me. "Regardless of whether or not you want to obey my orders, you need to eat."

"Not every decision I make is a ploy to slight you in some way," I said.

"Then why are you staring at an empty book instead of focusing your attention on the material to become First Mate?" Derek asked pointedly. "Now eat."

I glared at him as I got up from the bed and began scarfing down the food. When I was done, I returned to the bed and picked the book back up, trying to see if any of Marinus' "help" might guide me to the right way to get Derek to see my point of view.

Derek could tell that I wasn't happy. "You need to realize," he said, sitting next to me. "I've spent more than three centuries looking for you. I've already nearly lost you and I don't want to do that again. It might seem as though I'm disregarding you or somehow mistrustful of what you have to say and that's not true. I just don't want to risk my Mate on what could be the hallucinations given by my enemy."

"I'm not hallucinating, Derek," I told him. "Really I'm not. I've come to love this crew… this pack. I don't want to see anything happen to them either. That's why I want you to bite me and finish the ritual."

"If this ritual is so important, how come I never learned anything about it? There's a book for the Captain of this ship that was started by Marinus and continued through each successive one. There is nothing about that in the book," he said.

"Because it's in the Anchor book," I replied. "I know you can't see it, but trust me, it's in there."

Derek sighed, pushing me onto my back and climbing on top of me. "Can we stop arguing about this and just have sex? I don't want this issue to come between us anymore."

I didn't want this conversation to be over, but I consented and allowed him to remove my clothes and begin the thrusting into me. He was so lost in his own pleasure that he didn't realize my heart wasn't in it. He stroked me to completion as his knot tied us together. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have been able to distinguish this from one of my first encounters with him. But by giving him sex, I was able to placate him for a little while longer while I figured out how to interpret Marinus' lack of help.

My method became as such: I made it seem to Derek like I was putting all of my efforts into becoming his First Mate. He began training me himself in the few things a book would never be able to teach me. When I had a few moments to myself, I would continue to read the Anchor book, still trying to figure it out.

I was mending a sail when it hit me. I had to make him  _see_  my point of view. I quickly finished my patch work and went to find Scott. He was busy preparing dinner for that day so I decided to help him as I mined for information. "You're a werewolf, right?" I said, starting the conversation.

He looked at me sideways as he peeled vegetables. "Yes… you know this."

"What kinds of things can you do?" I asked.

"I'm strong… I can heal quickly… my senses are better than a human's," he replied. "All of this is already known to you."

"But what else?" I asked.

"Why do I get the feeling I could be in very big trouble for answering this?" he asked.

"My Mate is a werewolf and I'm just trying to figure out, as his Anchor and as his First Mate what weapons are at his disposal," I said, hoping my lie would work.

"What specifically do you want to know?" he asked me, looking very skeptical.

"Is there a way to convey information that doesn't require talking?"

"Are you on that again?" he scolded. "I'm not helping you with this, Stiles. I don't want to incur Derek's wrath. He told you to leave it alone. You need to obey him on this one."

I took his lack of an answer to mean 'perhaps' and continued helping him with dinner. Derek joined us when it was time and I sat contentedly by his side. "Your stitch work on that sail was impeccable," he commended.

"Thank you!" I mused.

We finished dinner in silence and when we got back to the cabin, he seemed annoyed. "I thought we were over this, Stiles…"

"We were… sort of," I replied. "But I think I figured out how to get you to believe me."

Derek crossed his arms. "Alright…"

"I just need to show you what I see," I said. "I was hoping there'd be some sort of werewolf way to do that…"

"There is," Derek replied. "But I was never good at it. It's dangerous. I could kill you."

"Not everything has to end in death…"

Derek approached me, extending his claws. He let them dance up the back of my neck in a way that sent shivers down the rest of my spine. "I'd need to shove my claws so deep into your neck that they enter your spine… One wrong move and you could die. So this definitely would end in death."

"There has to be someone else who can…"

"Peter was the only one who would have enough skill to do this," Derek replied.

"Then maybe there's another way…" I suggested.

"None that I know," he said.

I sighed. "I will figure it out, Derek… because I know in my bones that this is how we defeat Deucalion."

Derek's level of annoyance with my single-minded pursuit of this ability seemed to dictate his response. "If you think it will help, Stiles..."

He crawled into bed and I moved to be next to him. I could feel his large erection poking against me. "Are you going to be able to sleep with that?"

"Likely not," he grunted. "Take care of it, would you?" I moved so that I would be better able to perform the task he requested. I fished his member from his trousers and began caressing it. It was veiny and intimidating in my grasp. I could see the beginnings of his knot as I stroked him. "Your lips would look so much lovelier around me than your fist."

I parted my lips, drawing nearer until I felt Derek's hands on the back of my head and before I could even prepare, his cock was in the back of my throat. I gagged slightly before relaxing it and catching my breath through my nose. He masturbated his cock with my face for a while. I saw his knot slowly building before he pulled me up. Just as I was praying that he wouldn't get carried away and force it into my mouth, I heard him say, "Get on all fours… quickly…"

I obeyed, he pulled down my trousers as he got behind me and shoved himself into me. I cried out in combination of ecstasy and agony. I could still taste him on my tongue, but now I felt every vein at the other end of me. He thrust wildly until his knot pushed past my opening, locking us in position. I began to tremble as he rested against a spot inside me that sent waves of bliss throughout my person. He pulsed and twitched inside me as he filled me with his seed. I could tell that this one would last for a very long time.

It took mere minutes for me to cover our bed with my own seed, despite the fact that I'd not even been touched. I felt close to him. Closer than I'd ever felt to him before. "I knew the exact moment you were born, you know," he grunted into my ear, his body hunched over mine as I struggled to keep us both in this position.

"I thought you said you searched for nearly three centuries to find me," I chuckled.

"I knew you'd come to me," he clarified. "I just didn't know when. Then one day… I felt a shiver through my body… It terrified me. I felt disoriented. But you were just a baby… I couldn't take you. Instead, I decided to wait. I even forgot after a while… Then one day we were running low on supplies. Your island was there, evidence of the Queen's own avarice. I didn't even know who you were when you offered to take your father's place. I saw you as a scrawny little pawn in my bid to control the seas… I even forgot my mission. And when I touched you… I felt that same shiver through me… but I didn't want to believe it. I thought that there was no way you could be my Anchor. You were still too young… too headstrong. Peter told me to ignore it… that it was a coincidence and another Anchor had been born, that's why I felt the second shiver."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" I asked.

"You didn't need to know," he told me. "I want to believe you, Stiles… I want to believe that biting you is the way to save us all… I just can't risk the effects of if it goes badly."

"What could possibly go wrong?" I asked.

"The bite either changes or kills a normal person… but not you… From the moment of your birth, you were touched by the magic of the role into which you were born… there's no way to know how the bite would react to that," he explained. "So I'll let you figure out how to show me… but until I have incontrovertible evidence, I won't bite you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: After long last... an update! YAY! Next chapter will come out... eventually. But I can tell you that Stiles will learn just exactly what being an Anchor truly means (in the context of this story). PLEASE give feedback! Until next time...


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